The CSI Slayer
by AerynSpeedleCaine
Summary: #3 of my 'Life As You Know It' series. This is goes into detail of Buffy's life after Speed. **DISCLAIMER: CSI: Miami is owned by Jerry Bruckheimer. BtVS is owned by Joss Whedon, etc...** Eventual pairing of...
1. Chapter 1

**The CSI Slayer: Prologue**

**Miami-Dade Crime Lab **

**14-December-2004**

**5:56pm**

It was almost time to go home. There was an air of anticipation surrounding the CSI family of the late Timothy Speedle.

Today, Buffy and Joseph Speedle were coming home.

It had been over two months since they had left. And while their Miami family understood, it was still much too long of an absence, and they were deeply missed. Their visit over Thanksgiving had been too short in everyone's opinion.

But they were coming home today (hopefully for good) and everyone was excited about that. There was even a small 'welcome home' dinner in the works set for later that evening.

* * *

**Summers-Speedle Residence**

**7:07pm**

Walking a circuit around the house once more, Dawn Summers checked to make sure everything was in order for Buffy and Joseph's homecoming.

The house was clean, the dining room was set and ready for dinner with everyone – although the exception was the food, which would be delivered at 7:30 – Horatio and the rest would be here by then. Buffy and Joseph would be teleporting in at about 7:45pm.

For Dawn, it would be a relief to have her sister and nephew home. She didn't know if she could take anymore of the calls and questions of when Buffy and Joseph would be coming home. Dawn had way more patience than Buffy, but even hers had its limits, and she had reached her breaking point days earlier.

The next person to ask her when Buffy and Joseph were coming home, Dawn was going to transport their ass to another dimension for a prolonged amount of time.

Seeing that everything was set and ready, Dawn went to shower and dress for the evening.

* * *

**7:35pm**

Horatio rang the doorbell, as the others stood with him on the front porch of Buffy and Speed's house, waiting for either Dawn or Faith to answer the door.

The resounding chiming of the doorbell sounded through the house, looking at her watch, Dawn figured it would be her newer, extended family at the door, as the food had already arrived.

Walking briskly to the foyer, she opened the door, and sure enough, there stood Horatio, Calleigh, Alexx, and Eric. Smiling warmly, Dawn motioned them into the house. Enthusiastic choruses of "Hi Dawn" greeted her, as she took their coats from them.

"So, is everybody happy about Buffy and Joseph coming home?" she asked, mildly sarcastic since she already knew the answer to the question.

"Oh yeah, it feels like it's been forever since we last saw them," Eric answered.

"Well, they should be home any time now. In the meantime, drinks are in the fridge, just help yourself to whatever you want while I go put your coats away," Dawn said walking away.

"Ladies and Eric, shall we head into the family room then?" Horatio inquired.

"I'm going to go grab a drink, anyone want anything?" Calleigh asked.

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks anyway, Cal," Eric said.

"I wouldn't say no to bottled water," Alexx said.

"I think bottled water sounds good too," Horatio agreed. "Do you need a hand, Calleigh?"

"Nah, I'm good, Horatio. I'll be back in a few," Calleigh declined.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway, as Dawn reappeared with Faith in tow. Horatio, ever the gentleman, stood as they entered the family room. "Ladies, how are you this lovely evening?"

"Yo, H! What's up, E, Lady A? Where's Cal? Haven't seen a whole lot of you guys as of late," Faith commented. "What's up with that?"

Before anyone could respond to the mild accusation in Faith's tone, Calleigh returned with drinks in hand. Seeing Faith, Calleigh smiled, before greeting the brash young woman. "Hi Faith, how're you doing?"

"Doing five by five, Cal… Need a hand with those drinks?"

"I'm fine, Faith. Thanks though," she replied. "So, how was patrol last night?"

"Lame, only dusted three vamps; they weren't even a challenge either. They were beyond stupid. Had to get my kicks other ways, ya know?" Faith smirked at the southern belle.

"So, what you're saying is clubbing and a distraction of the male persuasion?"

Faith shrugged, "Hey, whatever works."

Calleigh and Faith's conversation was interrupted by a sudden whooshing noise – which caused everyone to turn towards the direction of the sound – only to find Buffy, Joseph and Xander standing there.

Upon seeing Buffy and Joseph, the two younger members of the team clamored forward to hug them, while Alexx and Horatio held back a little. As Calleigh and Eric hugged Buffy, Horatio discreetly scanned Buffy over, looking to see if anything was amiss. Although her hair was a shade darker, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, she otherwise seemed to glow.

Horatio marveled at the size of the pregnancy bump she was sporting. He knew that she was just about six months by now, but on her petite frame, she looked more like the full nine. When Eric and Calleigh let her go, Alexx swooped in to hug and fuss over Buffy, in true maternal fashion. Horatio waited until everyone else had gotten in their hugs and fussing, then she turned to him a slight smile on her face. "Horatio…"

Returning the smile, he walked up to Buffy, enveloping her in a warm hug, he whispered in her ear, "Welcome home, sweetheart. We've missed the both of you."

"We missed you guys as well…it's good to be home," Buffy replied, getting misty-eyed.

Taking a few steps back, he looked down at her pregnant belly, and grinned. You're looking wonderful, sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

Smiling ruefully, she joked, "Aside from being the size of the Goodyear Blimp? I'm peachy with a side of keen."

"You are beautiful, young lady, don't you even think otherwise," he insisted.

A tugging sensation on Horatio's shirt drew his gaze downward, seeing Joseph staring up at him with an expectant expression. With a fond smile, he lifted his nephew into his arms. "Hey there, champ. How are you doing? Been looking after your mama for me?"

Joseph nodded his head seriously, "Yes, Uncle H. I've been taking good care of Mama while we were at Slayer Central."

"Good man. That's what I want to hear," Horatio praised. Tickling Joseph, he asked, "So, little man, are you and your mama hungry? I heard a rumor that there was dinner waiting around here somewhere if you are."

At the mention of dinner, Buffy let out a pleased groan, "Oh that's great, I'm so hungry that I could eat a horse."

* * *

Sitting around the dining room table, talking and enjoying the wonderful food, Horatio relaxed.

He hadn't realized until now just how off-center he'd been feeling with two members of his unconventional little family being gone; though if appearances were anything to go by, the time away had proved beneficial for Buffy.

She wasn't the same vibrant young woman she used to be when Speed was alive; however, she wasn't the broken soul he'd seen at the funeral either. So it could be considered progress.

"I have to say that one of the things I missed while we were gone was the food. You just can't get good Cuban food in Cleveland!" Buffy declared with a contented sigh.

"Damn right. Aside from Cuba and my mama, Miami is the best place to get authentic Cuban food," Eric concurred.

"How was Cleveland, Buffy? What did you do while you gone?" Calleigh asked.

"Well…aside from the obvious grieving process, I spent a bit of time supervising the training of the newbie Slayers; meditated some; had quality time with baby boy; finished some IDC paperwork, you know, the usual stuff," Buffy recounted.

"Are you serious? You did paperwork? What…did you lose a bet with Giles or something? Because we didn't hear any reports about an upcoming apocalypse," Dawn joked.

Scowling at Dawn, Buffy stuck out her tongue, "Ha, bloody ha, Dawn. You are so bloody frickin' hilarious, maybe I should start calling you Carrot Top!"

"Hey! My jokes aren't that bad! There's no need to be so mean!" Dawn exclaimed.

Buffy just smirked in response, as Faith and Xander looked at each other, before putting in their two cents.

"Oh no, she's making with the tweed-speak," Xander shuddered.

"Somebody spent too much time around Giles," Faith sing-songed. "Are you sure there's not an apocalypse on the horizon, Xand?"

Feigning seriousness, Xander answered, "I didn't hear anything about it, but you know it wouldn't hurt to contact G-man, just to be sure. After all, the Buffster using the tweed-speak is definitely one of the signs."

"You guys suck! Making fun of me like this…you're all so mean!" Buffy pouted, though her eyes twinkled in amusement. "Not feeling the love here, people."

Amused, Alexx scolded the others with the 'Knock it off or else' mother tone of voice, "Now children, that's enough. Quit teasing Buffy."

Triumphant, Buffy once again stuck her tongue out at the Scoobies, and crowed, "See? Mama Alexx loves me, even if no one else does!"

Joseph chimed in, "I love you, Mama!"

Leaning sideways, Buffy gave Joseph a big, smacking kiss on the top of his little head, "I know you love me, baby boy. I'm just teasing your aunts and uncle."

"Oh, okay then." Pausing a moment, head tilted to the side, Joseph asked, "Can we have dessert yet?"

The adults laughed at the question, as Horatio ruffled Joseph's hair with affection. "That's up to your mama, little man."

"What _**do**_we have for dessert anyway?" Buffy asked.

"We have a Cuban Opera cake for dessert," Dawn said.

"Nice! Have I bothered telling you lately how much you rock, Dawnie?" Buffy exclaimed, "This has been the best homecoming dinner yet!"

Smirking, Dawn replied, "I know. I'm the man…woman…You know what I mean!"

"So enough with the talking, let's get with the cake having, already," Xander declared. Everyone chiming in agreement, as Dawn went to get the dessert from the kitchen.

* * *

Once dessert was over with, everyone moved back into the family room, to have coffee (or in Buffy's case, tea) and just to relax and talk.

Buffy sat on the loveseat with Joseph's head in her lap, stroking his hair as he slept while she talked with Horatio, who was also sitting on the loveseat with Joseph's little legs in his lap. "So…how are you doing, H?"

"I'm fine, just fine; working hard as usual – trying to make Miami a safer place, one case at a time."

"That's not what I meant. How are _**you**_ doing, Horatio? Have you bothered talking to a therapist at all? Or are you still carrying around the guilt?"

"So, when was the last time you saw the doctor? Have you found out the sex of the baby yet? Have you even considered what to name him or her?"

Understanding what Horatio was doing, she let him change the subject. "I saw the IDC healer last week, and she said that I'm having twins, although I don't want to know the sexes. I want to be surprised… Though as far as boys' names go, my favorites are: Benjamin, Killian, and Nathan. As for girls' names, I liked: Aidyn, Kaleena, Lynleigh, Delaney, and Shannen. And even though it's technically a boy's name, I really liked Luka too. I want something that's unique, but not too out there."

"You mean like Buffy?" Horatio teased. "Because let's face it, Buffy is definitely out there."

"Hey, you're one to talk buster. 'Horatio' doesn't exactly scream common, either. So there!" she retorted, blowing a raspberry at him, making Horatio chuckle.

Then Horatio got serious again. "Why did you stay away so long, Buffy? I was starting to think you weren't coming back."

Sighing, Buffy thought about the best way to explain her reasons. Opting for the blunt truth, "I wasn't ready, to be honest. I thought I could handle being surrounded by memories of Tim, but then I'd be hit with a case of 'What Ifs' and 'Should Haves' and I just knew it wasn't the right time. And that's why Giles recommended talking to a therapist. Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled with the idea, but it has helped me to come to terms with his death to a limited degree. And while I'm still not totally okay, I'm working on it."

"I understand. It was just hard. I started feeling like maybe you blamed me for what happened to Speed."

"I would never think that, Horatio!" Buffy denied vehemently. "I'd never blame you for that! If I were to blame anyone, it was the so-called owner of the jewelry store, but never you. I'm just grateful you were there with Tim for his final moments. If I couldn't be there, I'm glad that you were, so that he didn't die alone."

Overcome with emotion, Horatio couldn't speak for several moments. "Thank you, Buffy. I really needed to hear that from you."

"Not a problem."

With a huge yawn, she announced, "I think it's time for me to put baby boy to bed, and call it a night. All this excitement has done me in." Awkwardly, she rose off the loveseat trying to maneuver around Joseph in her pregnant state; when Horatio lifted a sleeping Joseph into his arms.

Feeling a pang of deep affection for the gruff Lieutenant cradling her son, she said, "I suppose you'll want to help me put Joseph to bed then, yeah?"

Looking first at the little boy in his arms, and then at Buffy, he half-shrugged, "If you don't mind, yes I would."

"Alright, give me a few minutes to say goodnight to everyone, and then we can put Joseph to bed."

Horatio watched as Buffy hugged Eric, Calleigh, and Alexx goodnight, thanking them for coming over, before walking back over to him. "Shall we then?" Buffy asked as she looped her arm through his free arm.

"We shall," Horatio agreed. And in that moment, something more than friendship was taking root in both of their hearts…


	2. Chapter 2

**The CSI Slayer: Ch. ****1****: I'll Be There**

_**Don't be afraid, oh my love**_

_**I'll be watching you from above**_

_**And I'd give all the world tonight**_

_**To be with you**_

'_**Cause I'm on your side**_

_**And I still care**_

_**I may have died**_

_**But I've gone nowhere**_

_**Just think of me**_

_**I'll be there**_

_**Just think of me**_

_**And I'll be there**_

_**Just think of me**_

_**I'll be there**_

_**~~I'll Be There-Escape Club**_

**28-February-2005**

**Over two months had passed since Buffy's return to Miami. She was now well into her eighth month of pregnancy and in a constant state of discomfort. She was also lacking in her normal Slayer grace.**

**She spent most of her time in the bathroom nowadays because her two beloved little parasites were pressed against her bladder all the time. She was beyond ready for them to come out and greet the world. Lately, she was having major mood swings due to her raging hormones, and it was causing all of her family and her friends to walk on eggshells around her. Buffy hated how out of whack her body was, but there was nothing she could do about it, so she dealt… But she could definitely give any teenager a run for their money in the ticking hormone bomb category!**

**She doesn't remember it being this bad when she was pregnant with Joseph.**

**Now Buffy liked to believe that she had come a very long way from being the shallow, self-centered airhead she'd been before becoming the Slayer, but there were moments lately when she could see and feel "Shallow Buffy" rearing her vain and vacuous head: like whenever she looked into a mirror and saw just how fat she's gotten. And that led to the vanity and insecurity, which led to the hormonal overload, which then led to the tears…and during those times, Buffy was damn near inconsolable for hours. **

**Also, being this far along in her pregnancy meant that Buffy was pretty much restricted to her house, unless she was under a serious, full-on glamour; or when she was accompanied by either Faith and/or Willow; or she had her mini-Slayer entourage. Apparently, being the "Alpha Slayer" of the new line of Slayers had major backlash to go with it.**

**Buffy was now the oldest (and most successful) Slayer in recorded history, so she was number one on the demon community's 'Most Wanted' list. So every evil demon and most vamps were gunning for her, so much so that she now had several decoys of her stationed around the world to throw off the demon community.**

**And when had the vamps and demons decided to band together to form a frickin' community?!? By the Goddess, now she'd heard of everything!**

* * *

**4-March-2005**

**Sitting on the bench swing of the second story patio that was connected to her master suite, Buffy watched the almost full moon rising in the Miami night sky.**

**With the twins impending birth mere weeks away, Buffy found herself thinking once again of Tim, and the melancholy mood threatened to overwhelm her. She still wished – with every fiber of her entire being – that Tim was still alive and here with her.**

**It wasn't fair that he wasn't around to watch his children grow up! Buffy was still supremely pissed off at the 'Powers That Be' for giving her true love with an amazing and loving man, only to vindictively snatch it away from her. When would she get her "Happily ever after"? Hadn't she sacrificed enough to her calling?! Would the PTB ever tire of screwing with her life?! There was only so much she could take, she thought darkly.**

**It was true that on most days, she was able to fool most everyone that she was coping well enough. Then again, it was easy enough when her loved ones didn't **_**want**_** to see how much she was still suffering from the loss of Tim. After all, it had been close to six months since he had died, and she should be ready to come to terms with it…as if that were a possibility! **

**So, Buffy put on a "happy face" for everyone around her; but it was a façade. She also did it for her baby boy. Joseph needed her to be there, and to be strong, so for his sake, she was. Though all this left a mark on her soul.**

**During the daylight hours, it was easier to pretend all was well – especially when she had numerous responsibilities to keep her fully occupied and unable to dwell on her darker thoughts. But when the night rolled in, it got infinitely harder. The pain and loneliness were almost impossible to ignore when she was lying alone in the bed they had shared, knowing that he wouldn't be there to hold her safe in his arms while they talked quietly about their respective days or of their hopes and dreams for the future.**

**Sometimes, it was all Buffy could do to keep from breaking down in body and soul. It was the biggest reason she tried to avoid sleeping for as long as possible every night.**

* * *

**With the metaphorical thunderclouds of pain and despair swirling around his love, he watches as she prepares for bed – waiting patiently for her to succumb to Morpheus' charms – before emerging from the shadows of the bedroom.**

**A deep, throbbing ache fills Tim's chest as he sits on the edge of their bed watching as Buffy sleeps. He shouldn't be here and he knows it, and yet he can't help himself. She is his addiction, and he needs his fix. It's a dangerous game he plays, and sooner or later Tim will have to pay the piper, but until that time comes, he will continue keeping his silent vigil at her side, mourning all he has lost.**

**Seeing her belly swollen with child is a beautiful and gratifying sight for Tim, and he marvels at how much more her beauty is amped up because of it. She glows with an inner light, like one of God's angels.**

**As he keeps watch, Buffy becomes restless. Soon she is whimpering and crying in her sleep. Unthinking, he lifts up the covers and slides into bed with her, taking her into his arms so he can comfort her. Gently he strokes her silken hair, which feels as warm as the sunshine it takes its color from. Before too long, her movements start to calm and she sighs, murmuring his name in sleep. As Tim continues to hold Buffy, he curses himself for his weakness.**

**It hurts. It just plain hurts… more than he can bear, knowing that he has to let her go when the sun rises. Otherwise he runs the risk of being discovered, and a huge part of him wants to be discovered... but he knows it's not fair to Buffy. If she knows he is hanging around, she won't move on with her life. So, he only visits late at night, when she sleeps, as****he had promised himself.**

**Hours pass, and Tim can see the faint apricot glow signifying the approaching sunrise. Reluctantly, he releases Buffy and slides out of bed. Bending down for one last kiss, but before he goes, he whispers, "I love you".**

**He is shocked when she replies in her sleep, "Stay with me." Denying the urge to do as she requests, Tim backs away from the bed, drinking in the sight of her before disappearing into the shadows.**

**Opening her eyes, Buffy looks around the room, searching for Tim, disappointed to find herself alone. With her Slayer senses, she can smell his unique scent lingering in the air. He thinks she is unaware of his visits, but she knows… she feels him, always. It is an instinctual gut reaction of the Slayer part of her recognizing its mate. There will come a night when she will catch him during his nocturnal visits, but until then she tries to move forward with her life.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: You're Frickin' Kidding Me!**

You're Frickin' Kidding Me!

**Disclaimer:** Buffy and all characters therein are property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. CSI: Miami and all characters therein belong to Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue and CBS. So, copyrighted material belongs solely to their respective creators… (i.e. NOT ME!)

**Timeline:**Post-Chosen for BtVS; and post-Lost Son for CSI: Miami. Everything thereafter is mostly non-canon and AU to boot.

**Author's Note:** Special thanks goes out to my wonderful beta: **mmooch**. Any mistakes you find are solely mine. Enjoy!

* * *

**20-March-2005**

**3:20pm**

Pulling into the parking lot of the MDPD Crime Lab, Buffy reveled in the feel of the late afternoon sun on her bare arms.

She awkwardly got out of her new car, rubbing at her aching back. **'**_**Man, I**_ _**cannot wait for the twins to be born!**_**'** Buffy thought ruefully as she popped open the cargo-hold of the car, grabbing the picnic basket filled with goodies for her Miami family.

She'd been working on some of her IDC paperwork when the nesting urge had struck out of nowhere. So in a fit of 'Susie Homemaker-ness' she'd gone into a baking frenzy and made enough cookies and other sweet treats to feed an army of minis after a vigorous patrol. So she was bringing some of it to Horatio and the others… Besides, she had an idea that she wanted to discuss with him, and she figured that bribery couldn't hurt her chances.

Slowly making her way to the entrance of the Crime Lab, she saw Horatio standing in front speaking with his "lady-friend" Rebecca Nevins. Buffy knew that she was the State Attorney, so she wondered what they were discussing, because whatever it was, it looked serious. With her curiosity piqued, Buffy decided to take advantage of her enhanced hearing capabilities by eavesdropping on the conversation.

And the more she heard of the conversation, the more annoyed Buffy became. _**'What a**_ _**total dumbass! How could Rebecca think, for even a moment, that**_ _**Horatio would be okay with her making a deal like that?**_ _**Does she even know**_ _**him at all?!?'**_ Buffy thought in irritation.

As Rebecca walked away, Buffy saw the brief look of disappointment and hurt flash in Horatio's deep blue eyes before he covered it up with the mask of cool professionalism he usually wore. It made Buffy want to smack the hell out of Rebecca for her stupidity! Deciding then and there that she was going to cheer Horatio up, she adopted the overly perky cheerleader persona she used to do so well and called out, "Hey there Lt. McHottie! Whatcha doin?"

Turning to his right, Horatio saw Buffy walking awkwardly towards him. Smiling at her salutation, he went to meet her, "Hello sweetheart. What are you doing here today? Shouldn't you be relaxing?"

Inwardly, Buffy was congratulating herself for getting Horatio to smile; on the outside, however, Buffy stuck out her lower lip in a mock-pout. "What? So now I have to have a reason for coming to visit my favorite CSI? Well, I'm certainly feeling the love here."

Quickly backtracking, Horatio amended, "Of course you don't need a reason to visit. I just figured that you'd want to take it easy until the twins were born."

"Relax H, I know what you meant. I was just teasing you. You know, making with the funnies?"

"Hmm, I see." Noticing the picnic basket in her hand, he asked, "So what's in the picnic basket, my little comedienne?"

Lifting the basket higher, she teased, "Oh, you mean this? It just so happens that I got hit with a dose of 'Susie Homemaker-ness' and had a baking frenzy like you wouldn't believe, so I thought that you and the others might appreciate some of the goodies."

"Well, thank you, that's a lovely gesture." Moving to take the basket from Buffy, Horatio was surprised when she pulled it away from him at the last moment.

At Horatio's raised eyebrows, Buffy gave an apologetic shrug as she clarified, "Normally I'd let you, but this is one of Willow's special, magically-enhanced baskets. Not that I don't think you can't handle it or anything, but it's far heavier than it looks, and I don't want to take any chances."

With a shrug of his own, Horatio placed a protective hand on the small of Buffy's back as he said, "Shall we head inside then? I'm sure the others will be eager for the sugar rush, and you can get off of your feet and relax."

"Lead on, Lt. McHottie."

* * *

As predicted, the cookies, tarts, and muffins were a hit. Buffy got a chance to talk to all of her favorite people. Alexx came up from the morgue to fuss over Buffy and the babies, and to make sure that she was taking care of herself.

While she was there, she got to meet the newest member of Horatio's team: Ryan Wolfe. According to Horatio, Ryan was eager to prove himself, though he seemed a bit on the cocky side. He was OCD, and practiced very meticulous gun maintenance. Something that Buffy wished Tim had taken more seriously.

When he'd been introduced to Buffy, he'd been nothing but polite and respectful. Though there was a hidden gleam in his eyes. In some ways, he reminded Buffy of Faith when she first came to Sunnydale, like he had the propensity to be a real wild card if given enough provocation to let loose. He looked like he was wound a little too tightly.

'_**What was that saying Faith had? Oh yeah… Ryan could really be in need of 'finding the fun' or else he'll burst**_,_**'**_ Buffy smirked. _**'Oh dear lord! I so need to keep Faith away from Ryan or she'll eat him alive; although… he might just enjoy some of Faith's "special attention".' **_

As he made his way back to his office and Buffy, Horatio saw that she was smirking, though her thoughts seemed to be focused elsewhere, and he wondered just what she was thinking about. With the sunlight spilling in from the window of his office, Horatio was struck by how beautiful Buffy looked at that moment. She was, by nature, a beautiful young woman to begin with, but her pregnancy seemed to amplify that beauty. And the way the sunlight hit her seemed to cast her in an ethereal sort of light.

When Horatio entered his office, Buffy turned and gave him a three hundred megawatt smile, and Horatio felt his heart stumble a bit. "Hey there, precious lady, how are you feeling?"

"I'm good, H. So, I met Ryan… and I was just thinking that we'd better keep Faith away from him, or else she may just eat him alive."

"Yes, I agree. Faith can be a bit overwhelming at times."

"Well that's putting it mildly, H. I'd say it's more like trying to run through a brick wall, and just when you're getting your equilibrium back, getting hit by a Mack truck for good measure," Buffy joked, before getting serious. "So anyway, I was wondering if you had any plans this evening. If you don't, Joseph and I would love to have you over for dinner tonight. I'm going to be making Joseph's favorites: lasagna, and then chocolate mousse for dessert. And there'll be plenty, especially since Faith is away taking care of some IDC business."

"I would love to join the both of you for dinner tonight. Thank you. What time would you like me to show up? And do you want me to bring anything?"

"No, just bring yourself. Dinner will be around six-thirty."

"Okay."

Rising slowly from Horatio's chair, Buffy let out a slight groan. "Boy, I can't wait for the twins to be born. It's getting to be a hassle to get up and down now."

Horatio moved to help Buffy stand all the way up- which she gratefully accepted- rubbing at her aching back once more. "I should go. I have a few things I want to pick up from the grocery store before I go home and start dinner. Want to walk me out, handsome?"

Nodding, Horatio casually draped an arm around Buffy's shoulders, listening as she talked about the new car she had recently purchased, as they left his office and the building.

"…it's called a Dodge Magnum, and it's like a station wagon on crack, according to the dealer. I didn't care for the standard colors, so Eric went with me to this place that painted cars, and I got a really pretty silvery-blue color, with a light interior that's been stain-proofed against whatever havoc Joseph can wreak on that poor defenseless car. And there's plenty of room for when the twins arrive as well. And then I got some custom rims that act like pinwheels when it's moving. It's really neat. Although, the only downside is that it isn't very fuel efficient. But, if need be, I can also get another car that is less of a gas guzzler… Otherwise, I'm pretty crazy about this car." Buffy raved.

"That sounds lovely. But how's the safety on it?" Horatio asked with concern.

"Well, I had Faith with me, and she knows a bit about cars and all that, she told me that it's fairly safe. It has a V8 engine with something called a Hemi. I don't know what that means, but Faith says it's super-powerful. She also says that it in no way could be mistaken for a Mom-mobile. 'Cos the last thing I want is to have something as uncool as a Mom-mobile! That would just be wrong for someone my age!"

Horatio chuckled at Buffy's shudder of horror at the thought of being caught in a car that could be considered uncool. "That's great, sweetheart. I'm glad that you're happy with your new car."

"Yeah, and it's even been set up with the kiddie seat for Joseph, and the car seats for the twins'. Willow and Tara placed some protection charms on it as well. I'm really pleased with that!" Buffy enthused.

When they reached the parking lot, and Buffy's new car, Horatio let out a low whistle. "You were right sweetheart that _**is**_ a fantastic car. Exactly how much did this piece of automotive marvel cost you?"

As Buffy got into the car she said, "Well, once Giles became the Head of the IDC, he arranged for Faith and I to receive compensation for all those years as the only Slayers at the time. And I got some bonuses for my two deaths, so I had plenty of money to pay for it outright; even with the modifications. But it ended up costing close to $36, 000." At the mention of the cost, Horatio let loose another whistle.

"So, I'll see you later this evening, right?" Buffy confirmed.

"Yes sweetie, I'll be there tonight." Horatio assured.

"Okay, then I'll see you later, H." With that, Buffy started the engine, leaving Horatio watching as she drove off.

* * *

Horatio pulled up to Buffy's house at twenty minutes after six. He figured that he'd be there to help out with the last minute set up, if need be. But, he also wanted to visit with his nephew for a little while before dinner too, so that was why he was a bit early.

He'd had enough time after work to go home for a shower and to change into something more casual. Since it was a warmer than normal evening, he had decided to wear a pair of khaki-colored linen slacks, and a deep peacock-blue button-down shirt, and a pair of light brown boat shoes. As he walked up to her door, he held in his hands a bouquet of bright, gaily colored sunflowers, and a bottle of sparkling apple cider to enjoy with dinner, since wine was a definite no-go for Buffy right now.

With some maneuvering, Horatio rang the doorbell, waiting for Buffy to answer the door. When she opened the door, he smiled down at her as he crossed over the threshold when she stepped back, allowing him in. She looked fresh and lovely in a cornflower blue maternity sundress. "Hi handsome, I'm glad you could make it. And you've come bearing gifts, I see. What kind of prezzies did you bring?" she asked, looking to see what he was carrying.

Handing the flowers and bottle of sparkling cider to Buffy, Horatio replied, "Nothing too exciting really, just some flowers and a bottle of sparkling cider to go with dinner."

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that, you know," she said as she moved to hug Horatio. "But I do appreciate it, though."

Wrapping his arms around her, he gave her an affectionate kiss on top of her head. "It was no problem."

Buffy was in no hurry to move out of Horatio's embrace- as it felt safe and welcoming- the sound of racing feet pounded through the house announcing Joseph's imminent arrival. "Uncle H! You finally got here!" Joseph squealed, as he threw himself at Horatio, heedless of his mother. So it was good thing that Buffy still had fast enough reflexes to move out of the way before Joseph brought them all down.

"That I am, little man. So, how was your day? What new and exciting things did you do today?" Horatio asked.

Joseph started chattering about how he'd spent the day at SeaWorld with his Aunt Dawn and Uncle Xander, watching the show with the whales and getting to pet the stingrays and the dolphins. While he explained everything he'd seen and heard, he was gesturing wildly with his hands, much to Horatio's bemusement.

"Why don't we head into the dining room now? Dinner should be done any minute now," Buffy suggested. Looking down at Joseph, who was standing next to Horatio, she said, "Did you wash your hands yet, baby boy? You know the rules."

Nodding his little head, "Yes Mama, I washed them just before Uncle H got here, pinky promise."

"I believe you, baby boy. Now why don't you sit down in your spot, okay?" she chuckled. "Go ahead and have a seat, H. I'm just going to grab the lasagna from the oven. Then we can start dinner."

Even though there was only three for dinner that night, it was by no means a quiet affair. The sounds of laughter and Joseph's bubbling voice permeated the dining room. After dessert, Joseph was allowed to go watch a movie before his bed time, while Buffy and Horatio cleaned up the dining room, and put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher before sitting down in the living room to have some coffee (or tea in Buffy's case) making small talk, when Joseph fell asleep watching his favorite Disney movie 'The Lion King'.

"How about you let me tuck Joseph into bed? That way you don't have to keep getting up and down, since it's not an easy task for you," Horatio recommended.

"I'd appreciate that. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all; in fact, I enjoy it."

Buffy watched as Horatio picked Joseph up, took him into his room, so he could put him to bed. She mused to herself about what a great father Horatio would make. It was just a shame that he hadn't found a woman worthy of him yet.

She recalled both Tim and Calleigh mentioning his sister-in-law, Yelina. How they'd had feelings for each other, but Horatio refused to act upon it, out of respect for his late brother. She'd ended up dating his nemesis, Rick Stetler to spite him, when she got jealous at the misconception that Suzy Barnam- a druggie girl he'd helped out before- had gotten pregnant and had a daughter by Horatio, when in reality it had been his younger brother Raymond who'd fathered the girl.

And now there was that idiot Rebecca to add to the growing list of women unworthy of Horatio Caine. _**'Geez, H just seems to have some seriously bad dating karma, and it's such a shame too, because he's such a wonderful man. Why can't the women he shows an interest in see that and treat him like he should be treated?' **_

Horatio came out a few minutes later, so Buffy waited until he'd settled himself back onto the sofa, before she brought up the idea she wanted to discuss with Horatio. "So, no problems tucking Joseph into bed?"

"No, no problems. He didn't even wake up when I got him changed into his pajamas. I think today's adventures wore him out completely."

"Well, that's good. It's easier when he's so wiped out that he can't kick up a fuss. Otherwise getting him to go to bed can become a frustrating chore. Although I think most parents feel that way, at some point or another."

"Dinner was wonderful, Buffy. Thank you for inviting me."

"It was my pleasure. It's kind of funny how much I actually enjoy cooking now, because when I was younger, I was a disaster in the kitchen. I was the type that could burn water."

"So what changed that?" Horatio inquired.

"Well, after having Joseph, I realized that I didn't want to be the type of Mom who fed their child fast food or frozen stuff all the time; and since I couldn't expect my Mom to do all the cooking, all the time, it became important for me to learn how to cook as well."

"And then when Mom started getting sick, it was up to me to keep the house running smoothly, which made learning how to make things other than spaghetti and tomato sauce, or burgers and hot dogs even more important. Or else Dawn, Mom, Joseph, and I would have ended up starving, or having to live off of take-out or those nasty frozen meals… or having to eat Dawn food!" Buffy recalled with a shudder. "And those convenient frozen dinner things have so much horrible crap in it that it would make you cringe. And always eating take-out would've gotten way too expensive. And I wouldn't force Dawn food on my worst enemy, much less my Mom or son; therefore, I had to learn to cook. But it wasn't so bad, because I had Mom instructing me whenever she felt alright."

"Well, whatever the reason you had to learn how to cook, I have to say that you've developed quite a talent for it."

"Thank you for the compliment, H. However, I confess that there were a couple of other reasons for asking you over to dinner."

"Oh? And what reasons might that have been?"

"Well, I had an idea, and I wanted to get your opinion about it, before I brought it up with the IDC board members."

When Horatio didn't say anything, Buffy plowed on with her idea. "I thought that it might be prudent to have members of the IDC placed within the Crime Lab and other local law enforcement agencies, in case something of a more supernatural bent ever comes your way, especially during the night shifts. In fact, I think it would be wise to have witches and slayers within the federal and other governmental branches of law enforcement as well."

"Ever since the IDC was rebuilt, we have so many active Slayers, and an abundance of magic-wielders and research types at our disposal that can keep an eye out for the weird; and it would also give some of the older Slayers a chance to have careers, all while maintaining their duties… So, what do you think?" Buffy asked earnestly.

Anxiously awaiting Horatio's opinion of her proposal, Buffy remembered the many recent nights she'd lain awake weighing the pros and cons of this idea. In her opinion, it seemed like common sense, because vampires and certain demons were able to move around so freely amongst the humans in the larger metropolises, while the majority of humans were completely ignorant of the dangers that lurked under cover of darkness, so they were especially vulnerable.

And try though they might, Horatio and his team weren't equipped to handle the supernatural. That was why it made sense having teams of supernaturally-aware people work within local law enforcement agencies here in Miami, and around the US, and around the world for that matter.

"So what do you think, Horatio?"

"I think… that is a very good idea. It's a well thought out plan, with sound reasoning behind it; and I know that it would probably be helpful to have people in the field with that kind of knowledge working for us, and the other agencies."

Buffy let out the breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding at Horatio's approval. "Oh thank God! I wasn't sure it was a good idea. And I really wanted to know what you thought of it, because your opinion really matters to me, Horatio."

"Well, I'm glad that my opinion matters to you. I have to admit that you and Joseph have become a special part of my life," Horatio confessed.

Buffy stood to go over to the sofa and give Horatio a heartfelt hug. "Ours too, H; I don't know how Joseph and I would have gotten through Tim's death without your support."

Walking over to the stereo, Buffy turned it onto a lite rock station, before going to sit next to Horatio on the sofa. She cuddled into his side when he wrapped an arm around her, content to enjoy the companionship and easy silence, as they listened to the music.

Horatio was also enjoying the relaxed silence. Around Buffy, Horatio felt a sense of contentment he'd seldom felt around other women he'd known in his life, and it was a feeling he cherished. This night was making up for the rather poor day he'd had while working on the case of the two young lovers who were trying to be the next Bonnie and Clyde; and then having to deal with Rebecca. He still couldn't believe that she'd made that deal.

"Horatio, can I make a confession to you?" Buffy wondered.

"What is it sweetheart?" Horatio replied.

"I wanted to confess to eavesdropping on you today. I know I shouldn't have, but when I saw you talking with Rebecca this afternoon- you both looked so serious, and my curiosity got the better of me- so I took advantage of my Slayer-hearing and listened in on your conversation… I'm sorry. Do you think you can forgive me?"

"Hmm, well I appreciate your honesty. I won't deny that I'm not thrilled that you listened in, but I'm not going to hold it against you, so long as you try to stifle the impulse the next time it strikes you, agreed?"

"Agreed. I solemnly swear not to do it again," Buffy promised. "But, I have to say this: Rebecca is a dumbass. I can't believe she would make that kind of deal and then think things could still be peachy between the two of you. Is she evil? Wait a minute... She's a lawyer- of course she's evil! I could slay her for you, if you want me to."

Chuckling at Buffy's statement, Horatio gave her an affectionate kiss on top of her head, "As much as I appreciate the offer, I'm going to have to decline. Even though I may not have liked her decision, I can't stop her from doing her job."

Shrugging Buffy stated, "Oh well, I tried. I'm sorry it didn't work out though. You need to find someone who can support and love you the way you deserve to be loved, H. I'm certain she's out there, just waiting to give you the love you've been waiting for."

At that particular moment the song 'The Power of Love/Love Power' by Luther Vandross came on the radio, Buffy awkwardly stood up and held out a hand to Horatio and asked, "Dance with me?"

"I'd be delighted to, pretty lady." Horatio stood up and pulled Buffy into his embrace. Together they swayed gently, lost in the music and the comfort of each others embrace, not bothering to pull away when the next song played. Several songs later, Buffy pulled away with a small cry of distress. Concerned Horatio asked, "What is it sweetheart? What's wrong?"

Looking down at the puddle of liquid on the floor in dismay, Buffy replied, "Oh Jesus… my water just broke. Horatio, I need you to call Willow, and tell her that she and Tara need to get here ASAP. And then I need you to call Dawn and let her know what's going on, please."

* * *

After making the call to Willow, Horatio tried to keep himself calm, as they waited for her and Tara to arrive. When a whooshing sound came from the dining room, both Buffy and Horatio turned in that direction. Tara and Willow entered the family room where Buffy sat, along with Faith and Dawn. Tara immediately walked up to Buffy, a gentle smile on her face, "Hi sweetie, how are you feeling?"

"Not too bad at the moment, the contractions are just starting to make themselves known," Buffy smiled slightly.

"Do you want to head into your room now, or do you want to wait a little bit longer? Whatever you want is up to you."

"I think I'm okay to stay out here for a bit longer. Is there anyway you or Willow can do some kind of silencing spell on my room? I don't want to wake Joseph up sooner than necessary."

"I'm sure Willow can come up with something, let me go ask her. You just keep as relaxed as possible, okay?" Tara instructed. When Tara walked away, Horatio moved to sit next to Buffy as Faith walked up.

"Hey B, I guess you don't like to do things by halves do you? When you do something, you go all in, don't ya?" Faith smirked. "Hey H! How's it hanging?"

"I'm fine, thank you for asking Faith." Taking one of Buffy's small hands into his, and with the other Horatio smoothed the hair away from Buffy's eyes as he asked, "How are you feeling, pretty lady?"

"I'm of the good. It's only a feeling of mild discomfort for now, so there's no cause for concern just yet," Buffy said.

"Can I get you anything? Maybe a glass of water or something?"

Laughing softly at Horatio's apparent awkwardness in this situation, she shook her head, "No thanks. But, I'd like it if you just kept me company right now."

"That's not a problem, sweetheart."

"Thank you. So, handsome, I take it this your first time around a woman about to give birth?" Buffy teased. "Cos you're starting to look a little pale."

"Oh, ha ha. You're quite the little joker today, aren't you?" Horatio commented dryly. "But to answer your question, yes this is my first time in this situation, but you knew that already. Any other cute little quips you've got in store for me?"

"_That_… will remain to be seen." Buffy mimicked Horatio's own propensity for one-liners, which tickled a genuine laugh out of Horatio.

* * *

Hours later, while Buffy was deep in the throes of labor, everyone not directly involved in the delivery were sitting- or in the case of Horatio and Giles- pacing the length of the family room.

Dawn finally had enough of watching Giles and Horatio pacing, and she snapped out, "Would you two cease with the pacing already?! You're giving me a frickin' headache! I get that you're worried and stuff, but that isn't going to make the labor go any faster, so please, just sit the fuck down already!"

Both Horatio and Giles gaped at Dawn, too stunned by her irritated retort to do anything but comply. Giles couldn't help but wonder when Dawn had gotten so forceful… then again, she _**was**_ created from Buffy, so it only seemed right that she would've gotten some of Buffy's dominate personality.

Tara came out from the bedroom at that moment, and Dawn couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh thank God! I thought I was going to go nuts if I had to wait and watch those two pace a minute longer! I would've gone Slayer on their asses! And I'm not even a bloody Slayer!"

"Did the twins' arrive yet? What are the sexes of the babies? How's Buffy doing?" Giles demanded.

With a serene, but mysterious smile Tara answered, "Everyone just calm down, please. Buffy and the _**babies**_ are fine. Everything went well, and Buffy has invited all of you to her room to meet the _**babies**_. I just ask that you don't get her overexcited. She needs to rest. Understand? Oh, and Horatio? Buffy asked you to go and wake Joseph and bring him along to meet his siblings."

Nodding his head, Horatio went to do as Buffy asked, while Giles, Dawn, Willow, and Xander followed Tara towards Buffy's bedroom.

After retrieving a still sleeping Joseph from his room, he made his way to Buffy's bedroom when he heard Dawn and Xander both exclaim, _**"Oh, you're frickin' kidding me!"**_

When he entered her bedroom, Horatio noticed that Buffy had one of the babies in her arms, while Giles and Willow also held a baby in their arms. His eyebrows hit his hairline in shock at the sight of three babies. And in his usual understated way he remarked, "Well, this is a most unexpected surprise."

Smiling tiredly, but with a hint of her normal sass, Buffy replied, "And the award for 'Understatement of the Millennia' goes to…"

Several snorts of laughter were heard throughout the room. As Horatio brought Joseph closer to Buffy, so he could meet his new siblings. "Hey little man, wake up, it's time to meet your new siblings."

Joseph raised his head sleepily from Horatio's shoulder, mumbling, "Uncle 'Ratio? What's going on?"

"Well, it seems that your new siblings decided that they wanted to come out and greet the world tonight. So, I think we should have you say hello to the babies," he said, setting Joseph down next to Buffy.

"Baby boy, I want you to meet your brothers and sister." Raising the baby in her arms so that Joseph could see, she said, "This here is the youngest of the three- Nathan Giles, and that little one in Grandpa Giles' arms is your sister Aidyn Calleigh, and in your Auntie Willow's arms is your other brother Benjamin Horatio." After announcing the name of the oldest, Buffy gave Horatio an insouciant wink, grinning rather cheekily at his gob-smacked expression.

Horatio was at a loss for words. He had no idea that Buffy had even considered bestowing one of her children with his name. He was humbled and flattered by the gesture.

Overwhelmed, he tried to find the words to express what he was feeling at that moment, only to fall short. When she winked at him again, he knew that she understood what this meant to him, so he gave her a grateful smile to express everything he couldn't put into words.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Time to Say Goodbye**

**Disclaimer:**** All shows belong to their respective owners, meaning: Joss Whedon owns BtVS; CSI: Miami belongs to Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donohue, and CBS Studios. **

**Timeline:**** Post- 'Chosen' for Buffy; and Post- 'Lost Son' for CSI: Miami…**

**Author's Notes:**** Thanks go out to my Beta: mmooch. For endless support, advice, and her mad proof-reading skills! You are a Godsend!**

* * *

Two days after giving birth to the triplets, Buffy was inundated with a constant stream of visitors.

When Calleigh and Alexx came to visit with Buffy and the triplets, Alexx gave her a major scolding for not having been notified as soon as she had gone into labor. By the time Alexx got done with the whopping dose of 'Mom' guilt, Buffy was feeling two feet tall. But after much apologizing and swearing not to keep her out of the loop ever again, Alexx seemed mollified, and immediately began fussing over the triplets, offering advice- from a mother and medical doctor's perspective.

Calleigh had watched Buffy get the 'Alexx Woods third degree' treatment with a knowing smile on her face, as she had been on the receiving end of one or two of those as well, and she understood how Buffy felt. When Buffy told her that she had given her daughter the middle name of Calleigh, after her, she was surprised and deeply moved by the gesture.

All in all, the visit from Alexx and Calleigh had been one of the highlights of Buffy's day.

Watching as she nursed his baby, Tim felt his heart swell with love and pride. The peace, light, and happiness that emanated from his mate put him in mind of paintings from either Raphael or Leonardo Da Vinci of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus.

Because he was busily blinking back the tears in his eyes, Tim didn't notice when Buffy's shoulders tensed up- or the animal-like stillness she sometimes adopted- until she spoke up. "I know you're there Timothy Douglas Speedle, so you may as well show yourself right now!"

Startled by her demand, he emerged from the shadows of the nursery sheepishly, wondering how she'd known he was there. He asked, "How? How did you know I was here?"

"Because I felt you. Even in death, whenever you're near, I can feel you," she said. "I suppose it has something to do with the bond between a Slayer and her chosen mate. So, even during all those nocturnal visits when you thought you were being 'Stealth Guy', I knew you had been there. I could feel it … besides, your scent always lingered in the air, or on the sheets, so I knew I couldn't be dreaming your visits."

Tim felt like kicking himself. He should have realized that being a Slayer meant that Buffy could sense things that regular humans couldn't. He wanted to pull a 'Homer Simpson', and exclaim 'D'oh!'

"Why didn't you say anything? Why not confront me before?" he asked.

"Honestly? Because it would've hurt too much. If I'd actually seen and talked to you during those times, I don't think I could've survived it. I was still grieving, and confronting you would have been pure agony. It was hard enough knowing you were still lingering here, but I tried to take comfort in the fact that you were watching over Joseph and I," she answered.

Seeing the tremble of her lips and hearing the quiver in her voice, Tim stumbled forward until he dropped to his knees in front of the rocking chair she was occupying. He laid his head in her lap, in a familiar gesture, saying, "Oh baby, I'm sorry! I knew it was wrong, but I just couldn't keep away from you and Joseph. I never meant to cause you more pain."

Carefully shifting Aidyn securely into one arm, Buffy reached down to stroke Timmy's hair. "I understand, love."

"How could they expect me to move on when you were so broken? I swore to always protect you, and I failed you when you needed me most!" he cried.

"Baby, no! You didn't fail me. It was a terrible, tragic mistake. But our lives are dangerous, and we knew that this outcome was always a possibility for either of us. It's the price we pay for trying to keep the world a safer place for those who can't. You know this."

"But if I had taken better care of my gun, it wouldn't have malfunctioned, and I wouldn't have faltered and taken my eyes off of the shooter, leaving myself vulnerable."

"I'm not going to lie to you, baby. Yes, you should have taken better care of your service weapon, but it wasn't as if you or Horatio were expecting to walk into a hostile situation. You have _**got**_ to forgive yourself for this."

"How can you forgive me so easily? I left you to raise our children all alone!"

"Because I love you… it's that simple, Timmy. I forgave you so easily because I love you too much not to."

Lifting his head from her lap, Tim gazed adoringly into Buffy's beautiful blue eyes. Passionately declaring, "I love you, Buffy Anne Summers-Speedle! Until the end of forever and beyond; with all of my heart!"

Smiling at that declaration, Buffy asked him, "So do you want to meet your children, my love?"

"Oh god, yes!" he exclaimed, moving to stand up from his kneeling position in front of his mate.

Carefully placing their daughter into Tim's waiting arms, she introduced him. "This little angel right here is your daughter- Aidyn Calleigh."

"Oh Buffy, she's so beautiful! She looks just like you. She even has your shade of blonde hair," he said, looking at the little patch of blonde hair on his daughter's head.

"Actually, both she and Benjamin have your gorgeous brown eyes, while Nathan's eyes are blue-green. And both boys have light brown hair, like Dawn's." she corrected.

Leading him to the bassinet that Xander made specifically for the triplets, she pointed to the baby sleeping on the left side, "This little guy is Nathan Giles, while the one on the right is Benjamin Horatio. And little Aidyn sleeps in the middle of both of her brothers."

"They're perfect, baby, absolutely perfect." Tim said, placing the now sleeping Aidyn between her brothers. "And I think the names you chose are great, I love them."

He moved closer to Buffy, leaning down to kiss her, as wrapped his arms around her. Reluctantly breaking the kiss, Tim led her towards the loveseat in the little alcove of the master suite. Sitting down, he pulled Buffy onto his lap, so he could hold her while he told her what he needed to say. Not really wanting to bring up the subject.

"So, what's the what?" Buffy prompted.

Startled once again at her perceptiveness, he sighed. "I should have known that I couldn't keep anything from you. How you can figure out that there's something serious I need to discuss with you, I'll never understand."

"Yeah well, it comes with the Slayer package… besides, I've learned to recognize when you have 'something' face."

Knowing there was no easy way to say what needed saying, he just dove right into the subject. "What I have to say is hard, but unfortunately, I can't put it off much longer. As you're aware, I didn't immediately move on after dying, like I was supposed to. I wanted to keep watch over you and Joseph, to make sure you both would be okay. I was granted that reprieve, because you are one of the PtB's favorite Champions. They felt that They owed you for all the things you've done and sacrificed for Them. And while I'd like nothing more than to stay with you, unfortunately, it's time."

"Time?" Buffy said stupidly. Although deep down, she knew perfectly well what Timmy meant, she just didn't _**want to**_.

Giving her a look that said 'Don't play the dumb blonde with me' he replied, "You know what I mean. I was allowed by the PtB to watch over you until you gave birth, but now my time is up, and I have to move on."

"But why? Why would the PtB do that?" Buffy asked.

"Don't you get it, beloved? In spite of all the hoops and hurdles They made you jump, you've managed to prove your worthiness again and again. Thus earning Their respect. You've been one of Their favorites. Even though, They are supposed to remain impartial to _**all**_ of humanity."

"To that I say, 'huh?'"

"Baby, do you honestly believe that the Powers grant this clemency to everyone?" Tim asked.

Seeing the blank, bewildered look on Buffy's face, he answered his own question instead. "The answer is no, They don't. But, you're special to Them, and They wanted to show Their appreciation by allowing me to stay on this plane throughout your pregnancy, but now my time is up, and I have to move on."

"I still don't understand why They would allow this. Favorite or not, They have never been anything but manipulative in my experience. So I can't help but _**not**_ trust Them."

"The PtB felt that They owed you for all you've had to sacrifice in the name of your Calling. The biggest things being when you gave your life for Dawn's, even knowing that you had Joseph to care for. And then, when you tipped the scales to the Light Side by activating all of the Potentials, who knows what would have happened to the world otherwise. So They are grateful to you."

"Okay, I'm trying to be gracious, but I can't help but think that this was a loaded gift. I got to see and feel you again; but don't They understand how much harder that makes letting you go again?" Buffy asked somewhat bitterly.

"I know baby, but it won't always be this way. The pain will fade, and your heart will heal. And when it does, you just have to keep your heart and mind open to the possibilities."

"Possibilities? What possibilities? What are you talking about, Timmy?"

"I really can't explain it to you, love. It's something you'll have to figure out for yourself. But when the opportunity does present itself, don't turn away from it. Don't doubt what you feel- and for what it's worth, I'll be happy for you. I want you to be happy; it's what I've always wanted for you."

"You are being really cryptic. Do you think you can vague that up for me just a little bit more?" Buffy asked sarcastically.

Laughing softly at Buffy's impatience, Tim just kissed her again. "I want to thank you, baby. I never realized I could love someone as much as I love you and our children."

"And I love you as well. You gave me the life I had always dreamed of, but was certain I'd never get because of being the Slayer."

Gently easing her off of his lap, Tim rose to his feet. "Just remember what I said. Keep your heart and mind open to the possibilities, and trust yourself. Know that we'll see each other again someday..." With that last statement, he faded from view.

As she stared at the space he was just occupying, Buffy felt the tears gather in her eyes, but this time, she knew she'd be okay. One sweet day, they'd be together again. But for now, she had to live.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:**** Once again, anything you recognize doesn't belong to me.**

**A/N:**** Thank you to mmooch for her beta job. You got mad skillz, yo! All mistakes belong to me. Thank you for reading, and please leave a review. **

**CH. 5: In A Dream**

**Horatio's Office**

**MDPD Crime Lab**

**One month later…**

Today was one of those rare quiet days that didn't often happen at the Crime Lab. There hadn't been any new cases reported that demanded immediate attention, which was a very good thing in Horatio's opinion, as he has been distracted for the better part of the morning and afternoon.

No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get his mind to stop wandering. He'd had a strangely unsettling dream last night, and his thoughts kept returning to the contents of that dream.

So, rather than doing something productive, like finishing off the backlog of paperwork that he had sitting on his desk, he was standing by his office window, staring unseeing at the bright Miami afternoon, deep in contemplation.

He did, however, pause long enough in his thoughts to ponder Buffy's reaction to his current pensive state of mind if she witnessed it. Knowing her, she would undoubtedly accuse him of brooding. Not that she'd be entirely wrong in that accusation. Also knowing Buffy, she would come up with some colorful nicknames and unique quips in an effort to tease him out of his somber mood. She was quite inventive in that respect. And she often did that to cheer up the ones she loved, he knew, because he had seen her do it for Speed often enough in the past.

Horatio found it rather ironic that both Speed and Buffy had managed to pry their way into his thoughts just now, because the both of them had featured prominently in his dream last night- however indirectly it may or may not have been…

**-Dream Flashback—**

Horatio had dreamt that he and Speed were in his office late one evening, not too long before Buffy had moved herself, Joseph, and Dawn to Miami permanently in order to be closer to Speed.

On that particular day, Horatio had noticed that Speed was upset and behaving quite unlike himself. He was snapping at people over the littlest things, so Horatio had been determined to get to the bottom of what was bothering his CSI, because his behavior was already having an adverse effect on his teammates.

Needless to say, Horatio got more than he'd bargained for. Speed's confession had left Horatio stunned and horrified beyond words.

Barely ten weeks prior to Buffy's visit and decision to move to Miami, she and the Scoobies- a nickname that amused Horatio to no end- had been facing the latest (and worst) 'Big Bad' to date: an actual hell-god named Glorificus.

'Glory' had been banished from her own hell dimension many years before, and she needed something called the Key in order to return to her home dimension. She had come to Sunnydale in search of it. The Key, however, was being guarded by a particular sect of monks called 'The Order of Dagon'. Using magicks, they hid the Key and sent it to Buffy, knowing that as the Slayer, she would protect it.

But what Buffy, her mother, and her friends didn't know was that the monks had stolen some of Buffy's blood, and made a magical construct to contain the power of the Key. That construct had been in the form of a younger sister; they had even altered the memories of everyone in Buffy's life to include her having a sister.

They were banking on the power of that familial bond between Buffy and Dawn to keep the Key protected. When Glory had gone after Tara, believing that she was the Key because she was the newest addition into Buffy's life, it had ended quite badly for the gentle young woman. Upon realizing that Tara wasn't the Key, Glory 'brain-sucked' Tara, causing her to become mentally unstable.

When Glory found out that Dawn was the Key, Buffy and her friends ran away, in the hopes of hiding from Glory. But that wasn't to be, because as they were fleeing, they were pursued by the 'Knights of Byzantium', a fanatical religious group hell-bent (no pun intended) on destroying the Key. In the ensuing chase, Giles had gotten seriously wounded, and Buffy had convinced the Knights to agree to allow her medical intern friend- Ben- to come help patch Giles up. But they had unknowingly brought Glory into their midst as well, because Ben was the human vessel that contained Glory's essence, and for whatever reason, while he was stranded there in that little hideaway with everyone, Ben transformed into Glory. She'd managed to grab Dawn before anyone could fully comprehend that Glory was actually in their midst, and by the time they did, Glory had taken off with Dawn in tow.

Buffy had tried going after them, but by the time Willow got the magical barrier down, it was much too late, Glory and Dawn were long gone.

Buffy succumbed to a mental breakdown immediately after that. With magic though, Willow was able to pull Buffy from her catatonic state.

Once out of her catatonic state, she and the others mounted a strategy to save Dawn, and also to prevent the ritual from starting, thereby effectively causing Glory to lose her opportunity to open the portal to her home dimension, and preventing 'Hell on Earth' from literally happening.

But during her fight with Glory, and the Scoobies fight with Glory's minions, they hadn't counted on one of Glory's acolytes to start the process in her place.

Because once the ritual bloodletting started, the only way to stop the ritual was for the blood to stop flowing… meaning Dawn had to die.

Up on the tower where Dawn had been bound, watching as the walls between all dimensions started coming down, Buffy came to a realization. Since Dawn had been made from Buffy's blood, Buffy would also be able to stop the ritual. Not even realizing the pressure and weariness Buffy had been under since the death of her mother, and at the thought of having to lose yet another person she loved to her 'calling', Dawn watched Buffy sacrifice herself in Dawn's place.

Even knowing that she had a son and husband out there, Buffy still sacrificed her life so that Dawn could have a real chance to live and experience all that life had to offer.

And while all this had been occurring, Speed, Horatio, and everyone else in the world had been going about their daily lives- never realizing how close the human race had come to extinction- saved only by a small group of people dedicated to keeping the world going.

Horatio had been shocked by this revelation. But what made everything infinitely worse, was that whenever Speed would call Sunnydale wanting to speak to Buffy, they would give him the runaround; withholding those important details from him. And if that hadn't been bad enough, they'd made Joseph complicit in their subterfuge, as well.

They let Joseph believe that the robot look-alike of Buffy had actually been her. And Joseph, being just barely two years old, couldn't understand why his mother seemed so emotionless and detached. But the final part of the nightmare was that Willow had convinced the others to unknowingly participate in a very dark ritual to resurrect Buffy from the dead.

Willow had been absolutely convinced that Buffy was suffering in some hell dimension, and that it was her duty as Buffy's best friend to retrieve her from that eternal torment.

But instead of hell, they ripped Buffy from the peace and tranquility of Heaven; they had also left Buffy where they had placed her...trapped in her own coffin, buried six feet underground. For Buffy, it had been almost as traumatic to wake up in her coffin and having to dig herself out of there than it had been being ripped from her gift of Heaven and peace. Buffy experienced numerous nightmares of that particular experience for months afterwards.

Something that Speed got to live through firsthand in those first few weeks of sharing a bed together when she finally moved to Miami. It also explained the bags under his eyes, and why Speed had started consuming coffee in such large quantities back then- especially since he claimed to despise the stuff.

Speed had been extremely angry and hurt by the Scoobies' betrayal of trust. Not that Horatio blamed him in the least.

Soon though, Horatio's dream had changed. The next thing he knew, he and Speed were sitting in the diner where Buffy had worked when she and Speed had first met, watching as the initial courtship process between Buffy and Speed replayed itself, kind of like a dream within a dream.

Though the actual conversation between the two of them was odd, because if Horatio hadn't known on some level that it _**was**_a dream, he would've thought the conversation was actually occurring in real time.

Horatio had always prided himself on his ability to remember even the most minor details; so he found himself perplexed as to why he couldn't seem to recall very much of the dream conversation with Speed over the course of the latter part of the dream. However, there was part of the conversation that managed to stick out in his mind, and that was the thing that was bothering Horatio the most.

In his dream, Speed said to him, "There's going to come a day- in the very near future- when she's going to be ready to move forward with that particular aspect of her life again, and she'll eventually want to start dating again. When that day does come, I have to wonder… Will you be jealous on my behalf or yours?"

**-End Dream Flashback—**

Horatio awoke not long after that final message, feeling vaguely discomfited. Knowing that he would not be able to go back to sleep, he had gotten up and made himself some coffee while he watched the sunrise from his back porch, puzzling over the dream.

Which lead him to now… He was still puzzling over Speed's words. Wondering what Speed could've possibly meant by them.

**Later that evening…**

Buffy was in the nursery, trying to calm a very fussy baby Benjamin, and also figure out what to make for dinner that evening.

She shuddered to think what horrid concoction Dawn would come up with if given the go-ahead to make dinner. Chances are that a trip to the emergency room would be the result of one of Dawn's culinary atrocities. Sometimes Buffy wondered if the monks had been trying out a practical joke when it came to Dawn's taste buds.

In an effort to stop Benjamin's crying, Buffy decided to nurse him, thinking that he might be hungry, seeing as how his diaper was dry. Settling herself down in the rocker her mother had bought for her when she found out Buffy was pregnant with Joseph, she removed her shirt and bra before bringing Benjamin up to her breast, where he immediately started suckling.

While she was nursing Benjamin, the doorbell rang downstairs. Pausing mid-rock, Buffy waited to see if the disturbance would wake either Aidyn or Nathan. When they slept through it, she continued rocking Benjamin as he ate. Recognizing the cadence of Dawn's particular gait, she waited patiently for Dawn to enter the nursery.

With a quick knock, Dawn entered the nursery. Seeing Buffy in the process of nursing, she exclaimed, "Oh geez, Buff! What are you trying to do? Scar me for life?" She quickly turned around so she wouldn't have to see Buffy's exposed boob.

"Well, maybe if you had waited for me to say something before you came barging in here, I could've given you advanced warning. But as usual, you didn't bother to wait for permission to enter, so it's your own fault you got the unwanted view of my boob," Buffy scolded. Changing the subject, she asked pointedly, "So, what did you need? And who was at the door?"

"I came to tell you that Horatio is here, Sarcasmo. And that he brought dinner with him too: Chinese Food from Fu Shing's. What shall I tell him?" Pausing, as if to think about something, Dawn smirked evilly before replying, "You know, I could always send him on up, and you could give him a prime view of your boob… I'm sure with him being a typical guy, he wouldn't find it an unpleasant sight."

"You do that, and you can expect your next date to get a full introduction of what a naked baby Dawn looked like during bath time, and other equally embarrassing Dawn stories to entertain him before you go out on the town…" Buffy trailed off.

"You wouldn't! For a protector of the human race, you're really evil, did you know that?" Dawn asked rhetorically. "Fine, you win. I'll tell him you'll be down in a few minutes."

"That works for me," Buffy replied with a smug little smirk. "Can you tell Joseph to wash his hands and get ready for dinner, and would you please set the table in the kitchen? I'll be down as soon as Benjamin is done."

"Roger that. See you in a few." With that, Dawn left the nursery and headed back downstairs to relay the message to Horatio.

Several minutes later, Buffy was making her way into the living room where Horatio was entertaining Joseph while Dawn set the table.

Smiling as she entered the living room, she asked, "To what do I owe this unexpected, but very pleasant surprise, Horatio?"

Horatio had stood up from the couch as soon as Buffy entered the living room. "Hello sweetheart. I kind of figured that you might be a bit too busy with the triplets to make dinner, and since I hadn't had dinner yet, I figured I'd take a chance and swing by with some Chinese take-out in the hopes that you guys hadn't eaten either."

"Of course I don't mind you stopping by, Horatio. You should know by now that you're always welcome here," Buffy chided.

"I appreciate that, Buffy. So, how have you been doing?" Horatio asked.

"I'm a bit tired, but that's to be expected. I never realized that having triplets would be such hard work. I have to admire all of the single mothers out there. And the mothers of multiples as well. They are miracle workers if you ask me. They don't even have Slayer stamina to help them out."

At that concession, Horatio smiled indulgently. "I can agree with that assessment."

"Mama, I'm hungry. Can we eat now?" Joseph demanded.

"Yes, baby boy. Why don't you head on in, we'll be there in a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay, mama." With that, Joseph ran into the kitchen, where Buffy, Dawn, and Joseph often ate when it was just the three of them.

Moving to give Horatio a hug, Buffy asked, "So, where have you been hiding lately, stranger? We haven't seen very much of you in the past month."

Returning the hug, Horatio answered truthfully, "Well, it's been busy times for us at work recently. We haven't had much of a break… until today, in fact."

"Oh. Well, we've missed seeing you around here. You should definitely try stopping by more often. Goddess knows I could use the adult company since Dawn is usually preoccupied with her studies, or hanging out with her friends these days. So, I kind of go stir-crazy from time to time with just Joseph and the babies for company."

"Well, I'll see what I can do about that from here on out. We wouldn't want you going crazy, now would we?" Horatio joked.

"And that would be an emphatic 'no'. No crazy Slayer, if you please."

"So, little mama, are you ready for dinner yet?"

Pulling out of Horatio's embrace, Buffy responded, "Yes, I am, as a matter of fact. And thank you for bringing dinner over, by the way. I was trying to figure out what to make when you dropped in, like a dinner fairy godmother."

"Dinner fairy godmother, huh? Should I be offended or flattered?" Horatio asked wryly.

Pausing to think over her statement, Buffy's face scrunched up adorably. "Okay, that sounded so much more complimentary in my head."

"Don't worry about it… I've chosen to take it as a compliment and not as a slight on my sexuality," he joked.

"And to take a moment to quote one of my favorite characters, from one of my favorite guilty pleasures movies, which is called 'Clueless', 'Duh, as if!'"

Buffy rose onto her tiptoes to give Horatio a kiss on the cheek to thank him for bringing dinner, when she was caught off guard, because right at that exact moment, Horatio had turned his head to say something, so instead of his cheek, she ended up kissing him on the lips.

Caught by surprise, Horatio didn't know how to respond. Soon enough though, Buffy jolted back as if she'd been burned. Blushing in embarrassment, she apologized, "Oh my goddess, I'm so sorry, H. That was a total accident! I meant to kiss your cheek!

Clearing his throat, in as level a voice as he could muster, he replied, "That's okay, Buffy. No harm done." And although, he tried to act nonchalant about it, Horatio could feel his lips tingling from that brief contact, and a strange clenching sensation in his stomach that had nothing to do with hunger. "So, shall we go eat now?"

"Definitely, I'm feeling quite hungry all of a sudden." Buffy said both relieved and wigged by her own reaction to that kiss.

Both of them were still blushing when they entered the kitchen. Looking up, Dawn couldn't help but notice how they were both red-faced and sporting embarrassed looks. Which meant she had to ask the obvious questions, "So, what's up with the sunburned look? Is something going on? And what took you both so long to get in here?"

"Nothing, we were just catching up." Buffy responded with forced calm. "Is everything ready?"

Quirking an eyebrow at her sister's attempt at deflection, Dawn decided to keep an eye on the both of them throughout dinner for a clue as to what was going on.

As they ate, both Buffy and Horatio tried to act like nothing had happened. But whenever they thought the other wasn't looking, they would throw furtive glances at the other, confused by each other's (and their own) reaction to an innocent mistake. They were so preoccupied with avoiding each other's eyes, that neither noticed that they were under serious scrutiny by Dawn.

Several minutes later, Buffy raised her eyes to look at Horatio, only to find him looking at her in return. When he caught her looking, he gave her his trademark half-smile, and Buffy felt her face heat up once again, and her heart started thumping just a bit harder in her chest.

'_**Hmm, interesting,'**_ Dawn thought to herself, taking in the pairs unusual behavior.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch. 6: A Little Planning, A Little Scheming**

When Horatio left for the evening, Dawn went in search of her sister, dying to know what was going on between them. After a brief search of the house, Dawn found Buffy in the kitchen, cleaning up the dinner dishes.

Dawn stood just inside the kitchen doorway, waiting for Buffy to acknowledge her presence. When several moments passed, and her sister continued to ignore her, Dawn exaggeratedly cleared her throat before jumping right into the topic she most wanted to discuss with her sister, "So, Buffy, want to tell me what that situation was all about earlier this evening?"

As she turned to face Dawn, Buffy feigned ignorance saying, "I have no idea what you mean, Dawn."

"Uh-huh, right." Dawn drawled sarcastically. Knowing that her sister was trying to avoid this conversation, Dawn continued relentlessly, "So, there was no reason for you both to come slinking into the kitchen looking like you'd been…"

Buffy watched as Dawn's words trailed off, and she could see her younger sister's mind working at hyper-speed to put the pieces together. Buffy saw it when Dawn reached her 'A-ha!' moment, and heaving a weary sigh, she waited for Dawn's reaction.

"No frigging way! You and H… oh my goddess! You and H made with the smoochies, didn't you?" Dawn exclaimed.

"No, it wasn't like that. It was an innocent mistake," Buffy denied.

"What was it like then? Did he trip and you broke his fall with your lips? Don't hold out on me now!"

"It was a total accident," she insisted. "We were talking, and I was giving him a hello hug, when I went to give him a thank you kiss for bringing us dinner, he turned his head at the last second, and I accidentally kissed him on the lips instead."

"OMG! So what happened next?" Dawn squealed.

"After the initial surprise wore off, I quickly pulled away, and I apologized, explaining that it was an accident. That I had meant to kiss his cheek; he was cool about it, said he understood, and he accepted my apology. And that was it."

"Well? What was it like kissing H? Does he have soft, kissable lips? I'll bet he does, huh? Was there any sparkage?" Dawn demanded.

"What? No! It wasn't like that, Dawn. He was as embarrassed about it as I was, nothing more."

"Bullshit! If it was nothing, then what were those furtive glances you two kept throwing at each other on the sly about?"

Exasperated at this interrogation, Buffy demanded, "What are you going on about, Dawn?"

Staring at Buffy with no small amount of incredulity, Dawn had to wonder if maybe Buffy had suffered from too many blows to the head which were affecting her sister's brain functions. She couldn't possibly be this clueless, could she? "Are you for real? You mean to tell me that you don't see it?"

"See what? What exactly am I supposed to be seeing?"

"Oh for the love of…" Dawn muttered. "Horatio has feelings for you, Buffy! And I don't think they're unrequited either."

"Oh, is that all? Of course he has feelings for me. We are really close friends. Almost as close as Willow, Xander, and I are."

Smacking her forehead at her sister's refusal to see the blinding obvious, she asked her sister, "What world are you living on, Buff? 'Cos I'm telling you now, that Horatio has more than just 'really close friends' feelings for you."

"You're way off base. We're just friends. That's it."

"Whatever. Go ahead and keep believing that delusion if it makes you happy. Just remember one thing, big sister…in our fucked up lives, true happiness doesn't come along very often. But when it does, you should seize it with both hands. Don't hesitate, and don't let it go, or it may just slip through your fingers."

And with that last parting shot, Dawn turned and left Buffy alone in the kitchen with just her thoughts to keep her company as she headed upstairs to her bedroom.

Buffy was in a state of confusion. Dawn's words kept replaying themselves in her head. Could what Dawn said be even remotely true? Did Horatio really have more than platonic feelings for her? If so, what should she do about it? Tim hadn't even been gone a year yet, and she still grieved for him. She wasn't ready to move forward with that aspect of her life yet – of that she was certain.

However, when she thought about it, Buffy knew that aside from Tim, Horatio was one of the few men in her life that she trusted implicitly. She had from almost the beginning. He gave off a safe and trustworthy vibe that she didn't know how to explain. And he had been there for both her and Joseph virtually 24/7 after Tim's death, and during all the necessary funeral arrangements.

Feeling a headache developing from all of the heavy thinking she was doing, Buffy decided to take a bubble bath before going to bed. So, after locking up the house, she made her way upstairs, determined to just relax and not think about this anymore.

While Buffy was in her bathroom, drawing her bubble bath, Dawn was on a conference call to the Scoobies via web cam.

"I'm telling you guys, there's _**something**_ going on between Buffy and Horatio," Dawn stated as she paced around her room. "You should have seen it! I swear to the goddess that I was going to start choking on all the UST in the air!"

"Are you sure, Dawnie? Maybe you're reading too much into this whole thing. She is still dealing with the loss of Tim," Willow asked skeptically.

Huffing in annoyance, Dawn said, "It's not like I'm saying that they're going to be hopping into bed together anytime soon! I'm just saying that something is developing between them. If any of you guys had been here tonight, you'd understand what I mean."

Xander chimed in with his opinion at that. "You mean to tell me that you haven't seen this coming since Speed's funeral, Will? I should think it would have been obvious to someone as powerful as you've become. I mean, considering the way the Buffster seems to instinctively lean on him whenever she feels uncomfortable or overwhelmed these days."

An unladylike snort was heard at that last comment. Then Faith put her two cents into the pot as well, "I'm with Boy Toy and little D on this one, Red. And I say, 'Go B!' At least H is a serious hottie. _And_ he has a pulse."

"I agree with Faith. Buffy could do so much worse- like Deadboy, or worse yet, the 'Bleached Menace'," Xander mentioned, shuddering at those thoughts. "At least Horatio would understand her better than them. He understands the type of pressure that being the leader puts her under."

"Anyway," Dawn interrupted. "Do you think we should try to set them up or something?"

"NO!" the other three chorused.

Clearing her throat, Willow explained, "We should definitely avoid any _active_ interference on their behalf. It wouldn't bode well for our continued survival if she catches us at it."

"And I don't know about you three, but I do not want to be on the receiving end of Buffy's anger anymore," Faith declared. "I have no desire to have a supremely pissed off Alpha Slayer on my hands!"

"However, that isn't to say that we can't find ways to subtly nudge them together more often. We just have to make it seem natural. And we could start by getting Giles to have her start implementing her plan to put Slayer, witch, and Watcher teams together with the local and federal agencies- with Buffy and whomever she wants with her on the flagship team, alongside Horatio and his team. Thereby speeding up the process a tiny bit without seeming to interfere," Xander concluded.

"Sounds like the start of a deviously simple, yet effective, plan," Dawn said with a wicked smirk.

So, as the Scoobies (minus Giles) went about planning their little scheme to push Buffy and Horatio closer, the two recipients of these machinations remained blissfully unaware.

Unaware that his love life was currently under the microscope, Horatio tossed and turned in his bed as the night wore on.

He desperately sought to settle his agitated mind so that he could fall into the sweet oblivion that sleep would provide. But, his thoughts kept replaying the events of earlier that evening. The 'accidental' kiss between himself and Buffy had managed to stir up the heretofore, unacknowledged feelings he had developed for Buffy.

Horatio was neither blind, nor stupid. He had known for some time that his feelings for her had changed into something more than friendship. However, since Speed had been a part of Horatio's family, he had a hard time squaring away the developing feelings with his own code of ethics. So he had denied them, even to himself.

But Buffy was an amazing woman, with so many qualities that Horatio found admirable. She had endured plenty of hardship and pain in her young life, and yet she was still capable of so much compassion and love. And the way she had not only survived most of the obstacles thrown her way, but had somehow managed to emerge victorious. Well, that said a lot about her emotional and mental strength.

So was it any wonder that he would fall ass over teakettle for her?

And that was a large part of what was bothering Horatio. It hadn't even been a year since Speed's passing, and Buffy was still in mourning. She wasn't ready to move on with that aspect of her life yet, but when that day did come, wouldn't it be a betrayal towards Speed if Horatio made any overtures towards his widow?

He was at a loss at what to say or do in this situation. And seeing as it was such a delicate topic, he couldn't go to Eric or Calleigh with his doubts and fears… they were too close to be able to come up with an objective opinion. And Alexx… well, he would just hold out a little bit longer before broaching this subject with her, because she had been something of a 'Mom' figure to both Speed and Buffy, so…

Then it came to him. The perfect person to discuss this subject with: Frank Tripp.

Frank was far enough removed from the situation to be objective, but he could also be counted on to give advice in his gruff and forthright manner. No BS. So, with that emotional conflict solved for the moment, Horatio was soon able to drift into a semi-fitful slumber.


	7. Chapter 7

**CH. 7:**** Necessary Conversations**

**Disclaimer:**** Buffy belongs to Joss and Mutant Enemy; CSI: Miami belongs to CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer. In other words: **_**Not Mine!**_

**A/N:**** Thanks go to my beta mmooch for her mad skillz. Please do not take without permission. Or, at least give credit where credit is due. All errors are mine.**

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**Next day…**

After getting through the day's cases, Horatio went in search of Frank.

He found the gruff detective at his desk, immersed in his paperwork. He discreetly cleared his throat in an attempt to gain his notice; when Frank looked up, he spoke. "Hello Frank. I was wondering if you might be available this evening?"

Puzzled but curious, Frank replied, "Why? Is there something wrong?"

"No, not wrong per se. It's more of a quandary I suddenly find myself in; and I am in need of an impartial opinion of this particular issue, is all."

"Okay sure, I can change my plans for the evening. Did you want to talk in your office later? Or do you have somewhere else in mind?"

"Actually, I thinking that we could meet outside the lab at half past five? We can go get some dinner and relax while I explain my situation to you?"

"Alright, that sounds fine to me, Horatio. I'll see you then."

"Perfect. I'll see you later then… and, Frank? Thank you." With that, Horatio turned and left Frank to his work.

"Sure, not a problem," Frank muttered as he watched Horatio walk away.

Wondering what could possibly be bothering his ginger-haired friend so much, caused Frank no small amount of concern.

In all the time he'd known Horatio, the other man had always been notoriously private. He seldom, if ever, discussed his personal life. So, to Frank's mind, it must be something pretty serious for Horatio to want his opinion on the matter, especially if he hadn't even bothered going to Alexx for advice.

_**Meanwhile…**_

Buffy was on the telephone with Giles, discussing Slayer-related and other important stuff. He was inquiring about the delay in the implementation of her plans for 'Project Slay Brigade' that she'd mentioned wanting to test out with certain branches of local law enforcement agencies: most specifically with Horatio's group.

"…seeing as you and anyone you choose will be considered the flagship team, if you will, you really ought to be thinking about whom you'll want working with you," Giles declared.

Rolling her eyes in exasperation at Giles' 'lecture voice', Buffy couldn't help but think that as much as she loved the man, there were times when his British-ness aggravated her to no end and made her want to cheerfully throttle him.

"I _**know**_, Giles. But I have been a bit busy, you know. Whether you realize it or not, taking care of four young children is a hell of a lot of work! And until I can find a proper nanny for them, I cannot start on this new project just yet. And I'm certainly not going to trust just _**anyone**_ in the care-taking of my children. Please understand that," Buffy said huffily.

"Well…have you given any thought about asking Tara? She's someone you know and trust, and Joseph loves her already. And you know she would do everything in her power to keep the triplets and Joseph safe from harm," Giles suggested. "You, Willow, and Dawn can focus on getting this project off the ground, while she cares for the children."

"Oh my goddess! Giles, you are brilliant! Why didn't I think of it before? I'll have to call Tara immediately and find out if she'd be okay with that. And if she is good with it, I'll get started on 'Project Slay Brigade'… which reminds me, I'll need to get in touch with Faith too. As the other 'Senior Slayer', she should be given a team to work with as well."

"Alright, I trust you'll keep me apprised of the situation, yes?"

"You got it, Watcher-mine," Buffy agreed. "As soon as I know what's the what, I'll give you the skinny on it."

With most of the serious issues discussed, they talked about other, lighter topics.

**Outside the Crime Lab...**

At precisely five thirty, Horatio and Frank met up in front of the lab. After deciding on grabbing dinner at Mesquite Grill, both men agreed to taking separate vehicles to the restaurant, as they would be parting ways afterwards, and it would be prudent to not have to double back to the lab.

After they were seated in a booth, a waitress came by to take their order. When she left to fetch their beverages, Horatio began explaining his quandary to Frank.

Once he was finished, Frank summarized the situation for clarification, "Now let me see if I've got this right. There's a woman- whom you've chosen to keep anonymous for the sake of this discussion, I might add- whom you've been close friends with for quite a few years now; and until recently, she has been unavailable romantically…which was a moot point anyway, because your feelings for her were strictly platonic in nature. Have I got that right so far?'

"That would be correct," Horatio agreed.

"But she recently became available romantically, and the two of you have been spending time together socially as of late. However, last night, in a moment of spontaneity, you decided to drop by her place with dinner in hand hoping to spend some time together, right?"

At Horatio's nod of acquiescence, Frank plowed on. "But, there was a bit of an incident in which the two of you kissed- accidentally, of course; but this incident prompted you into realizing that you have subconsciously been harboring deeper feelings for your friend than you had previously thought. Is that correct?"

"That about sums up the entire situation."

"I've got to be honest with you Horatio; I don't see what the problem is. The soap opera-like drama of it all aside, that is," Frank joked.

Smiling at the attempt at humor, Horatio tried to find the words to properly explain why he felt so conflicted over this without bringing up the dream. "My problem is that I was very close friends with her husband too. In fact, it was through him that we became friends in the first place. But she lost her husband not too long ago in a tragic accident. And I suspect that she is still grieving over him, and I don't want to take advantage of her vulnerability and loneliness. I fear coming off like an opportunistic vulture."

The waitress chose that moment to return with their meals. Carefully placing each plate in front of the two men, she asked if they needed anything else, putting emphasis on the 'anything else' as she focused her gaze onto Horatio, blatantly attempting to flirt with him.

Frank watched as Horatio politely rejected the waitress' advances, flattered but uninterested, while he spent those few moments contemplating Horatio's dilemma.

Most people often underestimated his intelligence level, but he had a good idea who the woman in question was. He kept that information to himself, though, because it was obvious to him that Horatio was having some difficulties squaring this away with his conscience.

Once the young waitress walked away, Horatio turned his attention back to Frank, continuing what he'd been saying, "There's also the fact that I have no idea if my feelings might ever be reciprocated in any way. And couldn't this be seen as a betrayal to the memory of my friend- assuming, of course, that those feelings might be reciprocated- if I were to start courting his widow in future?"

"Well, the way I see it, the first thing you need to find out is if there's a chance she could feel the same towards you, obviously. Once that's figured out, you can proceed from there."

"Yes, but how do I do that? I can't exactly ask her outright, because it may cause her to become uncomfortable, perhaps even distressed. I don't want to do that to her; and if it turns out that she doesn't feel similarly, I don't want to ruin the friendship. I'd rather have her in my life as just a friend than nothing at all."

"Isn't there anyone else who might be able to offer you any insight into the situation? Perhaps there's some family or friends with whom you could discreetly finesse this information from?" Frank asked. "Because if there isn't, then the only thing you can do is to wait and see."

As his brows furrowed in contemplation, Horatio murmured, "I suppose there are a couple of people I could go to if need be."

"Now about that 'opportunistic vulture' comment… I have known you for quite some time now, Horatio, and you happen to be one of the most honorable men I have ever had the pleasure of calling friend. So that description couldn't be farther from who you are."

Horatio smiled in appreciation of Frank's compliment. "Thank you, Frank."

"However, I would highly recommend that you speak to Alexx about this as well. If she finds out that you didn't go to her with this, she may just take your head off and stick it on a pike as a warning to all," Frank said jokingly. "Now with that said, I find myself curious about the woman who's got you so turned around that you sought me out for advice, rather than Alexx. She must be one hell of a woman to have the cool and unflappable Horatio Caine all agog."

As he thought of Buffy's many attractive qualities, a soft smile touched his lips as he replied, "That she is, Frank. That she is."

**Three weeks later…**

Buffy, Willow, and Dawn had just finished talking to the Police Commissioner, and other important officials regarding the start of a test run for 'Project Slay Brigade'.

For Buffy, it had been an extremely boring meeting. She hadn't even had Faith or Xander around to help stave off the boredom, nor had the option of being able to fall asleep unnoticed in a corner of the room. She had had to pay attention to what was being said, and occasionally add her input into the proceedings.

She was thankful that both Dawn and Willow had been able to handle most of the administrative aspects of the meeting. Even after all this time, Buffy was still 'Action Girl' as opposed to being 'Research Girl'. It was good to know that some things never changed. Just because she was the 'Queen of the Slayers' didn't mean she had to become stuffy and boring like Giles.

The three of them were now headed over to the crime lab to tell Horatio what was going on, and they were also going to visit with everyone after all of the official stuff was taken care of.

Buffy was very excited to be able to spend time with Horatio and the others. She hadn't seen Calleigh or Mama Alexx in quite some time, and she had missed them. But Buffy understood what it was like to be busy, so she couldn't be upset with them for the lack of visits.

Horatio was just coming back from a crime scene and deep in thought when he stepped out of the elevator, immediately noticing the commotion going on in the lobby of the crime lab.

It appeared as if Willow and Dawn were holding Buffy back as they tried calming her down, while Buffy looked pissed off and ready to lunge at Rick Stetler. He could see Rick standing a short distance away with an almost leering expression on his face.

Concerned, he quickly made his way towards the three women. Even though he knew Buffy could take care of herself, the gentleman in him couldn't help but want to intervene on Buffy's behalf. As he got closer he made his presence known. "Is there a problem, ladies?"

"Nope. No problems, H. Everything's peachy with a side of keen," Dawn lied as she shot a dirty look at Rick.

Seeing the deadly glare on Buffy's face, and knowing the damage she was capable of, Horatio couldn't help but wonder what exactly Rick had done to be on the receiving end of her ire; although there was a small part of him that prayed he was never on the receiving end of that glare, because it promised a world of hurt to the recipient.

"Was there something you needed today, Rick?" he asked pointedly.

"No," Rick said as he turned to Horatio with a look of pure loathing. "I was just making small talk with the ladies here. I was curious to see just how Ms. Speedle here has been getting along."

"Alright then, now if you'll excuse us, Rick." Turning to Buffy, Willow and Dawn, he gestured them forward. "After you, ladies; I'm sure the others will be happy to see you." Dawn hooked her arm through Buffy's and started to walk in the direction of the break room when Horatio saw Willow whisper something to Rick, then he thought he saw Willow's eyes turn a fathomless black. But when he blinked and looked again, her eyes were still green. Shaking his head, he told himself it was just a trick of the light, although he couldn't help the sense of primal fear that struck him. When he looked at Rick, he could see that the IAB Sergeant's face was pale; and that rush of primal fear rose up a notch.

**3:25pm**

Horatio stood just inside the door of the employee break room. He watched as Buffy, Dawn and Willow talked to Calleigh about some topic or other between bites of pizza. The relaxed demeanor of the three young women was a far cry from the anger of an hour ago. He knew that he shouldn't really be allowing them to hang out at the crime lab like this, but since they had initially come here on business, he was willing to overlook it this time. As long as it didn't stop his CSIs from doing their jobs, he was okay with it this once.

He'd gotten off of the telephone with the Chief of Police a few minutes ago, and the Chief had confirmed what Buffy and the others had told him already: that 'Project Slay Brigade' was a go. Horatio chuckled silently at the colorful nickname of the newest project of the IDC. He was sure that Buffy had been the one to do the naming, as it spoke of her whimsical sense of humor.

Within the next few days, the IDC representatives (i.e. Buffy and Willow, and occasionally Dawn) would need to set up some of their own equipment at the crime lab in order to do what they did. And his team, along with a few hand selected individuals from the night shift would be taking a seminar in how to defend themselves physically against minor supernatural threats by Buffy herself. It would definitely prove to be an interesting seminar – that much was for certain.

Horatio found himself more than a little excited at the opportunity to be able to see Buffy every day at work. Though he would definitely have to keep a tighter rein on his growing feelings for her; but there was a certain euphoria mixed in with the agony of it. As it was, he couldn't quite hold in the wistful sigh that escaped him as he watched Buffy making a mock disgusted face at something Dawn said and did. He sensed someone coming to stand beside him as he watched Buffy, not realizing that they had heard his wistful sigh. When the person decided to speak up, he wasn't too surprised to find that it was Alexx standing beside him.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Horatio?" she asked as her gaze went from him to Buffy and back again. With another sigh, he nodded and lightly took Alexx's arm and guided her out of the break room again and up to his office.

Once they were inside the secure confines of his office, he waited until Alexx had seated herself while he thought of what he wanted to say.

"So sugar, what's going on in that handsome head of yours? It's something about Buffy, isn't it?"

"Yes Alexx, it's most definitely about Buffy."

"Well, what is it? You can talk to me. You know that."

"Well, this is a hard subject for me to broach with you, so please bear with me," he said.

He moved around his desk so that he could sit facing Alexx while he confessed what was going on in his head. He noted that she was studying him with a shrewd, almost knowing expression on her face. And before he could open his mouth, she beat him to the punch.

"You have feelings for Buffy, don't you?" she asked.

"Indeed, I do. As much as I would like to deny it, the fact of the matter is, yes I have developed deeper feelings for Buffy than I had ever intended. It has been cutting me up on the inside, because it feels like a betrayal to Speed's memory."

"When did you realize that you had these types of feelings for Buffy? Was it while Timmy was still alive?" Alexx questioned, already half knowing what the answer would be. "Or is this realization more of a recent development?"

"No, not while Speed was alive. I became aware of them over the course of the past few months, but I had been denying it, even to myself. The depth of those feelings made themselves known just under a month ago."

"So, does Buffy know about this?"

"No. I haven't breathed a word of this to Buffy. I don't want to frighten her, and there's also the fact that I have no idea if she could ever feel the same for me. But most of all, I just can't help but fear that I am betraying Speed somehow. He hasn't even been dead for a year yet, and now I'm interested in his widow? It's wrong and I feel very guilty about it. I'm conflicted about this whole situation, to be honest with you, Alexx."

"Oh sugar, I'm sorry that you've had to struggle with this crisis of conscience all alone," Alexx sympathized. "Is there any reason to believe that Buffy might feel something similar for you?"

Without much prompting, Horatio went on to explain the dream he'd had of Speed talking to him, and the incident when he'd brought dinner over to Buffy's house a few weeks ago. After he'd told her everything, he waited for Alexx to give him her opinion on the entire situation.

"I used to firmly believe that if there wasn't a scientific explanation to it, then it couldn't be real. But I've since learned that not everything is as it seems; I think that the dream-talk with Timmy in the diner wasn't a dream at all, Horatio. I honestly believe that Timmy did come to you- and in a roundabout way- that he was giving you his blessing," Alexx concluded.

At the uncertain, yet hopeful expression on Horatio's face, Alexx realized that the depth of feelings Horatio had for Buffy ran a lot deeper than even he realized. It made her wonder if maybe Buffy had similar feelings for Horatio as well- but because she was still in the grieving stage- she hadn't acknowledged them yet. She knew that Buffy and Horatio were very close, and that they unconsciously tended to lean on each other for support.

And they had being leaders of their own groups in common, so they understood what it was like to have to make the hard decisions and then suffer the consequences of those choices when things went south. It was rather ironic at just how much they had in common when one gave it more than just a passing thought. Alexx wondered how come it never occurred to her (or anyone else) before this moment. It was definitely something to ponder.

**Meanwhile…**

Ryan had wandered into the break room to see what the commotion was all about; when he noticed Buffy Speedle sitting on the little sofa with a redheaded woman, talking to Calleigh. Shrugging at the informal little get together at work, he turned towards the vending machine. And that's when he noticed a tall, willowy brunette bending forward to grab a soda can from the mouth of the vending machine. When she straightened up and turned around, he found himself mesmerized by her beauty.

Long chestnut hair fell around her shoulders, with a piercing blue gaze that spoke of curiosity, intelligence, but with a teeny hint of defiant rebellion. She had full pink lips, and was wearing a pair of cropped camouflage cargo pants and an olive green tank top that showed off her deep golden tan. Ryan couldn't help but think that she was breathtakingly beautiful. He wondered who she was; he also wondered if she was single.


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine, just borrowing.  
**

**A/N: Thanks to my beta, mmooch. She did what she could, but she isn't a miracle worker.  
**

**CH. 8: The Wolfe's Key**

Ryan watched as the young woman ambled her way towards him, not really paying attention to where she was going since she was clearly lost in thought. He hoped that maybe- if things worked in his favor- he would one day become the focus of such intense concentration from the immensely attractive female. As it was, she was so oblivious to what was going on around her, Ryan figured that she would collide with him at some point within the next few seconds, so the best way for him to introduce himself was to wait for the collision to happen by staying directly in her path.

Dawn grabbed her soda from the vending machine and turned to walk back to where Buffy and Willow were sitting with Calleigh. Her mind was on the most recent translation project Giles had sent her to work on and therefore she didn't see the good-looking guy she was about to collide with. So, when she finally collided with him, she couldn't prevent herself from yelping out, "Bloody everlasting hell!"

Ryan had braced himself for the impact, so he was able to prevent the woman from toppling over by grabbing her forearms as she wobbled precariously on her ridiculously high-heeled sandals. Her startled exclamation made him smile mentally, thinking he had at least a small crumb of information about her: she was British.

Noticing the hands that were gripping her forearms, Dawn looked up into gorgeous green eyes that shone with concern. The eyes and hands were connected to a very good-looking man probably a few years older than her. Her breath caught for a moment, and her first thought was a very Cordelia-esque, "Hello salty goodness!"…which she blurted out in a knee-jerk response.

Not realizing that her startled yelp had caused almost everyone else in the room to go quiet, so her comment was definitely heard by her sister, even without Slayer-enhanced hearing, and most likely by a certain redheaded Wicca and Southern belle. Embarrassed, Dawn refused to look across the room knowing that her sister, Willow and Calleigh were no doubt smirking in her direction; instead she focused on the man she collided with. Clearing her throat at the sudden awkwardness of the situation, Dawn was pleased to see that a faint blush was staining the cheeks of the good-looking guy as well. "I'm so sorry about that. Are you okay? I wasn't watching where I was going and as per usual, my clumsiness made an appearance. I sometimes think that I should come with accident insurance."

Ryan was charmed by the young woman's self-effacing babble; although, he could now tell that she wasn't British after all. "I'll live. No permanent damage done here. Although, I think I should at least get your name, since you did crash into me," he teased charmingly.

Slightly mortified, Dawn blushed again, "I'm Dawn; Dawn Summers. And you are?"

Having already let go of her arms, Ryan offered her his hand, "Hello there, Dawn Summers; I'm Ryan Wolfe, pleasure to meet you, dubious circumstances notwithstanding." There was a bit of a shock when their hands made contact.

While Ryan thought nothing of it, Dawn couldn't help the trepidation that crawled into her belly at the possible implications of what that electrical shock could mean. Hell, she wasn't stupid. She had been made from Buffy, so she knew that she could have inherited Buffy's typical luck with men- which would not be of the good. Dawn didn't want to be doomed in the love department! No. She wasn't going to read too much into this. She had just met the guy. There may still be a chance that she wouldn't be 'Love's Bitch'. She had to hope for the best in this scenario.

Across the room, Buffy watched Dawn talking to Ryan when an idea popped into her head. With a maniacal sort of glee, she mentally knocked on the barrier between her mind and Willow's to share her scheme with Willow, as a decidedly wicked and mischievous gleam shone in her eyes.

Because Dawn was involved in talking with Ryan, she didn't see the wicked gleam enter her sister's blue eyes. If she had, she would probably be on edge at whatever embarrassing scheme Buffy was cooking up in that evil mind of hers. But as it stood, she was unaware of whatever machinations Buffy was plotting.

**Willow:**

Buffy, Calleigh and I were watching Dawnie flirt with Ryan across the room when I felt Buffy knock on the mental door of my brain. After I lowered the barrier, Buffy filled me in on her plan to embarrass Dawn in front of Ryan; she claimed it was payback for a crack Dawn made a few weeks ago at her expense, and she wanted to know if I wanted in on it. I love both of the Summers' girls like sisters, but I fear them sometimes. The sibling rivalry could get pretty extreme on occasion. Although it had toned down a lot the past few years, there were still times when they schemed against each other that I thought it best to run for the hills and avoid the fireworks altogether. But since it was mostly harmless fun, I saw no reason not to join in on the fun this time.

I just never want to be the target of their more outlandish shenanigans. They can be scary and dangerous when they want to be. And I'm not even including Buffy's Slayerness or Dawnie's magical potential when I say this. We would all be doomed if those two and Faith ever decided that they wanted to take over the world, but I digress.

Buffy's scheme was to bring up the speech I used on her about inviting Angel for coffee back in high school, during the fraternity house incident. Hopefully this won't end up as bad as that time…

Dawn was still flirting with Ryan when she heard Buffy say, "Look at that, Will, our little Dawnie is making new friends." It wasn't _**what**_ she was saying, so much as the _**way**_ she was saying it that caused Dawn to visibly wince. Buffy was using that saccharine sweet voice that could only mean that badness was sure to ensue. When Willow gushed, "That is _**so**_ sweet!" Dawn knew she was in for it; Willow seldom got involved in their schemes or shenanigans.

Buffy continued with, "And if things go well, maybe Dawnie can invite Ryan out for coffee. It is the non-relationship drink of choice, after all."

Chiming in, Willow answered with, "It's not a date; it's a caffeinated beverage. Okay sure, it's hot and bitter, much like a relationship, but…" before they both started cracking up.

Dawn whipped around to face her sisters- by blood and by choice- with a horrified look. They did _**not **_just quote that cursed speech from Buffy's junior year, did they? Oh, they were definitely evil! Dawn couldn't believe they would do that to her! Did they really want to jinx her with that kind of luck in the love department? Her knee-jerk reaction was to blurt out, "I don't care how many times you guys have saved the world…but that was just evil! I can't believe you would want to curse me into being 'Love's bitch' like that! That's just downright mean and Harmony-like of you two!" And with that, Dawn ran out of the little break room, utterly distraught.

Buffy and Willow stopped laughing immediately. That wasn't the reaction they had been expecting from Dawn. She had been honestly freaked out when she had fled the room. As one, they got up and chased after Dawnie, wanting to know what that outburst had been about.

When Buffy and Willow took off after Dawn, Calleigh felt it was her duty as a member of Buffy's makeshift-claimed family to find out what Ryan's intentions towards Dawn were. And it would hopefully save him from the trademark threat that they apparently now used whenever one of them started dating someone new. She didn't know how he would perceive the famed 'shovel speech', though it might be entertaining to witness.

Ryan was confused. What the hell had just happened? One minute, he and Dawn were having a good time talking, and the next thing he knew, she had paled at her sisters' little speech before whipping around to retort and fleeing the room. Why had she run away? And what was with that comment? Why would she be cursed into being 'Love's bitch' with that speech? And what did she mean that her sisters' had 'saved the world?' Saved the world from what? Shaking his head, Ryan saw Calleigh rise from her seat and walk towards him with a determined gleam in her eyes and a purposeful gait.


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing. All property belongs to their respective owners.

**A/N:** Just a bit of a filler chapter to coax my Muse into the _**good**_ stuff. Also, there is mention of a mini-slayer at the end of the chapter. I wonder if anyone can name which movie she is visiting from? Please read and review. Thanks!

**Beta:** As always, thanks go out to mmooch! You're the best!

* * *

Horatio walked back into the break room to find it almost empty- only Calleigh and young Mr. Wolfe remained- but there was no sign of Buffy and the others. Had they already left? When he looked, he didn't see any of their belongings strewn about either. Surely Buffy couldn't have left without saying goodbye to him first, right? Horatio wasn't quite able to hold back the hurt and disappointment at the thought.

Crestfallen, Horatio was about to go ask Calleigh where Buffy and the others had gotten off to, when the women in question walked back into the room. At the sight of Buffy, Horatio felt his heart lift and gave a mental sigh of relief. She hadn't left him without saying goodbye after all. If that didn't prove that he was falling hard for her, he didn't know what did. Now it was just expressing his feelings without scaring her away that was proving difficult.

Immediately after they walked back into the room, Horatio noticed that Mr. Wolfe's eyes zeroed in on Dawn. _**'Hmm, it looks as though Mr. Wolfe is interested in Dawn; I'll have to keep an eye on this situation in future.'**_ Horatio would have to have a talk with Mr. Wolfe about treading very carefully where Dawn was concerned.

He'd also seen and made note of the fact that Dawn looked upset and a bit angry, while Willow and Buffy both looked contrite. It was obvious that he had missed a good deal of the drama while talking to Alexx. Perhaps he should find out what was going on?

Buffy saw Horatio looking her way with a contemplative expression on his face, so she went over to speak with him before she took her sister and Willow home. Dawn had had a major snit over their teasing her about Ryan; but when they had questioned her, she refused to talk about what was bugging her. Since a public building wasn't a good place to continue the talk, Buffy had decided that it was time to call it quits for the day. "Heya, handsome, I just wanted to say goodbye before we head out."

"Is everything okay? Dawn looks rather upset," Horatio asked.

"I don't know. We were teasing her earlier, and she freaked out over it. But when Willow and I tried to apologize, she just gave us the silent treatment. Reminds me of when she was younger," Buffy lamented, "Boy, do I miss those days…_**not**_! But I think it's best if I take her home. If she should deign to answer me in more than monosyllabic grunts anytime soon, I'll be grateful."

"Oh. Okay then. I guess I'll see you around soon enough, right?"

"You betcha! We still have that 'Safety Against the Supernatural' seminar and training session to do. Be prepared for some interesting situations and zany type fun."

"I will, sweetheart. You take care of yourself and my nephews and niece," Horatio said, as he gave Buffy a hug goodbye and a kiss on the temple.

Dawn walked out a few feet ahead of Willow and Buffy, barely acknowledging anyone- although she did manage to spare a brief glance to Ryan- before exiting the break room.

Buffy and Willow could hardly contain themselves. They wanted to find out what was bothering Dawn. After unlocking the car and climbing in, Buffy and Willow both turned around to face Dawn in the backseat. It seemed smarter to get to the root of the "teenage hissy fit" now, rather than let her sit and stew on it for the duration of the drive home. Dawn held a grudge like no one else when she wanted to.

"Alright, Dawn, spill it. What's bothering you so much that it caused your fourteen year old self to make an appearance at the crime lab today?" Buffy asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Dawn said, "And quite honestly, I really have no desire to talk to you right now."

"Come on, Dawnie. We can't help you, if we don't know what's bothering you," Willow pleaded.

For several moments, Dawn didn't say anything as she gathered her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she let loose. "You really want to know what's wrong with me? Fine, I'll tell you what's wrong with me: you two just embarrassed the _**hell**_ out of me in front of Ryan, for starters! I know you both thought it was funny, but I didn't! We had sparkage—literally- between us, and that scares the hell out of me!" Looking pointedly at Buffy, she continued, "I don't want to inherit your luck when it comes to love! And I know that that is a distinct possibility, considering that I was created from your blood. I don't want to be "Love's bitch"! Nor do I want to be in a Romeo and Juliet type of relationship, like you were with Angel, is that so wrong?"

Buffy didn't know what to say to Dawn's outburst; she hadn't known that Dawn felt that way. She knew that her past relationships left something to be desired; but her sister made it seem like _**all**_ of her past relationships had been cursed.

Sure her relationship with Angel was doomed from the get-go, and maybe the circumstances in which she and Timmy had gotten together wasn't the greatest, but she'd thought that their relationship and marriage had been a good thing, and she imagined that if he had lived, their marriage would still be going strong. So Buffy was a little hurt by Dawn's comments.

"Thanks a lot, Dawnie. I know my love life hasn't always been smooth sailing, but you make it out to be worse than the Titanic," Buffy said flatly.

"I didn't mean it like that," Dawn exclaimed, suddenly realizing her mistake. "But, even you have to admit that it appears to be a bit of a curse when it comes to Summers women and dating. We seem to fall for some seriously unsuitable men. Remember Mom's adventures in dating? Ted the Robot? And then there was the band candy incident with Giles? I somehow doubt you've forgotten about that one. I know I'm _**still**_ traumatized by that one. And we'll never know if Brian was a good guy or not, because Mom died before we ever got the chance to meet him," Dawn reminded Buffy.

When it looked like Buffy was about to protest, Dawn cut her off, "I'm not saying what I say to be hurtful; but, you have to look at the evidence here. The Scoobies- as a whole- have really crappy luck when it comes to love and relationships. And when there was literal sparkage between Ryan and me, it freaked me out.

"So yes, I was acting irrationally when you both decided to mess with me like that, and yes, I said things I shouldn't have. I am sorry for what I said, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm freaked about what happened, and damn it, I plan to stay that way for the foreseeable future!"

Buffy knew exactly the thing to say about Dawn's little diatribe. "Weren't you the one who told me, 'That true happiness doesn't come along very often, especially for us; but when it does, that we should seize it with both hands? And not to hesitate, or let go, because it might slip through our fingers.' Why not take your own advice and just go with it? So there was literal sparkage. So what? Maybe that means it is the 'be-all and end-all' for you and Ryan; or, it just means there was some static in the air. You're not looking to marry the guy, right? So don't make it into something it isn't. Just ask him out for coffee, or something equally low-key, like ice cream. You just want to see where this thing may go, not declare your undying love and devotion to the guy."

Dawn thought over what her sister had just said. She couldn't deny that there was merit to her advice. She did think that Ryan was hot, and she did want to find out more about him. And the only way to get to know him better was to ask him out.

Sure, things could go totally FUBAR; but then again, things could go fabulously and maybe something significant could come out of it. But she would never know if she didn't try. Sighing in defeat, Dawn conceded to Buffy's point. "As much as it pains me to say it, but you're right. I'm overreacting. I should just ask him out, and then see how it goes from there, right?"

Keeping the smugness out of her voice, Buffy replied, "That's what I'm saying. In fact, I was thinking that it would probably be a good idea to have some type of mixer in order to have our group and Horatio's to get to know each other in a relatively stress-free environment. Because the PTB knows that it may be hard for people who rely on science to believe that the supernatural is real. In fact, I think a barbeque-type deal at the beach sounds perfect."

Dawn immediately perked up at Buffy's idea. "That's a great idea! I can get to know Ryan in a relaxed setting, not to mention I can wow him when I wear my ice-blue bikini. And you can let Horatio see that even though you're a mommy, you're still a major hottie. And, the chance to poke fun at Giles in a swimsuit is just too funny an opportunity to pass up on!" Dawn enthused, ignoring Buffy's sputtering at the comment about Horatio.

When all three women imagined Giles' discomfort at having to wear a swimsuit, they burst out laughing at the hilarity.

"Oh goddess! I can just see it now! He'll be stuttering and saying 'Oh dear lord' while he searches for his handkerchief so that he can clean his glasses!" Willow laughed.

"Do you think he'll have a tweed swimsuit as well? Because ever since he became the Head of the IDC, he's reverted to his tweed-y ways again," Buffy asked, trying not to snort.

While Dawn had initially found the thought of Giles' discomfort in a swimsuit funny as well, she soon found her brain going to a disturbing visual place, as she thought of Giles in nothing but a pair of Speedos. Groaning aloud, she pressed her palms into her eyelids in an attempt to ward off the mental pictures, "Oh, eww! I actually had a picture of Giles in nothing but a pair of Speedos just pop into my head! OMG! I need an industrial-sized bottle of 'brain bleach' to remove that image!"

As soon as Dawn mentioned it, Buffy found her own brain betraying her, as a similar image popped into her own head. "I'm right there with you, little sister! I _**so**_ did not need that mental image in my head, along with the knowledge of what Mom and Giles did during the band candy incident."

"Oh, I don't know. I happen to think that Giles is quite the hottie for a gentleman of his age. If I were single and not totally in love with Tara, and he suggested that he was interested in "making with the smoochies" with me, I don't think I would be turning him down," Willow commented.

"Willow! That is so gross! He's old and like a Dad to us! The fact that you would even consider smoochies with Giles is just plain wrong! I mean, he's Giles. And besides, you're meant to be gay," Buffy sputtered.

"Did you forget about Oz? I was completely in love with him before all that crap with Veruca went down and he left to learn how to "control the wolf". And even before Oz entered the equation, there were my feelings for Xander, remember? I was in love with him since we were little kids. Besides that, I once had quite the crush on Giles. So, it was harder for me to view him in the 'Dad' category like you did," Willow said.

"Anyways! Can we please move on?" Dawn pleaded. "Let's work on the details of the beach day mixer thing. The sooner it happens, the sooner I can work on getting to know Ryan."

"I'll have to talk to Horatio and see what he thinks of this idea; afterwards, we can come up with something as far as scheduling this event goes. Does that work for you, Dawnie?" Buffy asked, "Although I think you should just bite the bullet and ask him for coffee or ice cream, anyway."

The next evening…

Horatio was walking through his front door when his cell phone began to ring. Quickly setting his solitary dinner down on the entry hall table, he dug into the pocket of his coat, trying to get his cell phone before the call went to voicemail.

Having located it, he snapped it open as he answered, "Caine speaking."

"Well, hey there, handsome! Are you at work still? Or have you managed to find your way home?" asked the sweetest voice in all of Miami.

"Hello sweetheart. How are you?" Horatio asked.

"I'm doing well, I just thought I'd call to say hello, that's all," Buffy said. "How was work? Did you put away any new baddies?"

Chuckling as he shifted his cell into a more comfortable position, he answered, "No, but we are working on a new case. What about you? How's everything at Slayer headquarters?"

"Everything is quiet, for now. No apocalypses to speak of. Then again, we still have some time until we hit apocalypse season."

"And is Dawn doing better today?" Horatio asked, "She seemed upset when you three left yesterday."

"You're not lying about that one," Buffy said wryly, "It seems she has a bit of a crush on Ryan, and she didn't appreciate Willow and I teasing her about it."

"She is still a teenager when all is said and done, so I suspect that she's bound to succumb to her hormones- every now and again."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Buffy sighed. "Anyway, I kinda promised Dawn I'd talk to you about having an informal barbeque/beach mixer-type thing, so she could get to know Ryan in a more casual setting. Also, I figure it's also a good way for everyone else who's going to participate in my seminar and training session to meet the other slayers, witches and Watchers they may or may not be working with without the stress of a working environment. Besides, I have a feeling that quite a few of your people are going to have trouble wrapping their minds around the supernatural."

"Well, I will have to run it by my superior, but I see no problem with it. Was there a specific date you wanted to have the barbeque by? Just so you know, I will need at least seven days advance notice in order to schedule things properly."

"Understandable. How about we try for a week from this Sunday? That should be plenty of time to get permission from your boss. And it gives me enough time to have all of our people teleported in from their respective posts."

"Sounds good to me, sweetheart," Horatio acquiesced. "However, I'm going to let you go now, because my dinner is getting cold."

"Geez, why did you wait until just now to say something, H? We could have talked after you'd eaten dinner," Buffy exclaimed.

"Not to worry, it's fine. I would have said something if I had wanted to eat my dinner right away."

"Okay, well I'll talk to you soon, Horatio. Enjoy your dinner."

"I will. You have a good night, Buffy. I'll talk to you soon."

"You have a good night as well."

**Two weeks later…**

**May 29, 2005**

It had taken longer to set up the meet and greet barbeque event than Buffy had originally planned.

Of course, the attempt to open up the Cleveland Hellmouth by a group of renegade Granola demons hadn't helped either- and yes, she knew that wasn't the actual name of the demons, but honestly, like she really cared what their proper name was? She sure as hell wasn't interested in being politically correct to a bunch of demons bent on chaos and the destruction of life as they knew it.

So, Buffy had had to postpone the plans for the barbeque while she and a few other senior members of the IDC dealt with that mini apocalypse. But she had gotten home a few days ago and had finalized the plans for the picnic. They were going to hold it on Sunday at her house, because of its prime location just steps from the beach. It was just one of a few of the old Council's properties that had been kept when Giles had taken over the reins as head of the IDC. Buffy may not have had very many positive things to say about Quentin Travers and the old Council, but the one thing she could say- was that they did know how to treat their VIPs. Because that was what her house had been, a retreat for the upper echelon of Council members and their guests.

And as far as the menu went, there would be burgers, hot dogs and chicken along with coleslaw, corn on the cob, potato chips and fries for the CSI group, slayers, Watchers and witches. In addition, there would be Tara's special veggie burgers and grilled eggplant for all of the non-meat eaters. Buffy was looking forward to Tara's veggie burgers, because she had come up with a recipe that was to die for. It tasted so similar to a regular burger that most people couldn't tell that it wasn't actually meat. It definitely made going meatless that much more bearable for Buffy when she had started getting into the vegetarian lifestyle. And for the desserts, there would be a fresh fruit medley, along with strawberry shortcake, a mixed berry crumble and finally, Buffy was going to make her specialties: vegan tiramisu- which was Tara's favorite- and a chocolate-espresso torte with dark chocolate ganache and mocha-flavored whipped cream.

Buffy, Tara and Willow were responsible for the majority of the prep work and desserts, while Xander had already promised to man the grill for that day. Both Faith and Dawn were charged with getting the house cleaned. Buffy was pretty sure that they'd already drafted quite a few of the minis into helping them though. As long as the house was ready, Buffy didn't care how Faith or Dawn got them to do it. As far as she could tell, everything seemed to be covered for the barbeque.

A makeshift little bar had even been set up so that the adults could enjoy some alcoholic beverages if they chose to. And a scythe-empowered slayer named Cammie had even volunteered to act as bartender. Faith had found her in a popular little dive bar in New York City. Cammie was a petite blonde-haired, blue-eyed dynamo who rivaled Faith with her wild flirty ways and penchant for being the center of male attention.

Both she and Faith had instantly clicked with the Russian woman; she was sweet and instantly likable, with her quick smile and raunchy sense of humor. She was a very good slayer as well; she could think outside the box and knew how to improvise. In fact, Buffy believed that if you put both she and Faith into a blender- for lack of a better analogy- Cammie is what you would come out with.

So with everything taken care of, Buffy decided that she would work on the "show and tell" she had set up for the day after the barbeque.


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine. "Party Up" lyrics belong to DMX and his record company.  
**

**A/N: This chapter was a royal pain to write, so that's why it took so long to post an update. Also, this chapter is unbeta'ed, because I am simply too impatient to wait for my beta to get it done. All errors are mine. Sorry.  
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**"Quotations"= Speech  
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**'Single Quotations'= Thoughts  
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**'Bold Italic Single Quotation'= Memory/Conversation  
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**{Don't know what they're called}= Song lyrics  
**

* * *

**CH. 10: Hungry Eyes**

**Sunday**

**3rd of June**

**6:07am**

The sun was just peeking out over the eastern horizon when Buffy was jolted out of her sleep. Instantly alert and ready to spring into action, she instinctively scanned the bedroom for any possible threat.

When she found none, her Slayer-mindset retreated and her mommy-mindset came to the fore. That's when she heard the fussing of a baby. Given the time, it had to be Nathan. The only question was: did he need a diaper change or to be fed?

When she lifted him out of his crib, she immediately knew which matter of business needed tending to.

Although she would never admit this aloud, but there were times she could honestly say that her babies' diapers smelled worse than some of the nastiest demons she'd had to go up against as a Slayer.

Once he was changed, she decided to see if he was hungry as well. Moving over to sit in the rocking chair; she lifted her top baring her breast to Nathan, which he immediately latched onto. As he fed, she quietly sang to him in an effort to lull him back to sleep.

It was strange, but like Joseph, Nathan seemed to like when Buffy sang songs by Genesis to him; whereas Benjamin and Aidyn preferred Sade and Queen, respectively. She knew that each of her babies' had different personalities, but for them to have such distinct musical preferences this young? It just was weird. But who was she to knock it? And it wasn't just their musical preferences that varied either.

Their sleeping patterns differed greatly as well. For example: Benjamin loved his sleep and could sleep like the dead through the night, waking up at a decent hour in the morning; while Aidyn already more nocturnally inclined; and Nathan was an early riser, much to Buffy's dismay.

When Nathan fell back to sleep, Buffy put him back into his crib, intent on going back to sleep for a few more hours herself. While she could go for long periods of time without a lot of sleep, she really didn't like doing it. She was very much like Benjamin. Meaning, that she loved her sleep and would sleep in whenever she got the opportunity. Which wasn't very often these days, but it was a sacrifice she'd long ago learned to live with.

**Several hours later…**

Ryan was just locking the front door of his apartment- sweaty from his morning run- intent on a shower as he headed towards his bedroom. He sat down on his immaculately made bed so that he could pull off his running shoes, he then stripped off his running shorts and shirt. Walking into his bathroom, he turned the water on and let it warm up before hopping into the shower.

Once in, he let the warm stream of water rinse away the sweat and dirt from his body before grabbing the shampoo and squirting some into his hair and working it into a rich lather as his mind drifted off.

Today was the barbeque at the Summers-Speedle residence, and Ryan was psyched. He was looking forward to seeing Dawn again. He'd been thinking of her almost non-stop since meeting her.

She was beautiful, funny and he could tell that she was intelligent. Plus, he thought her babbling was adorable.

He'd been working up to asking her out for coffee when her sisters had embarrassed her and she'd run from the room that day. When she came back, she'd barely acknowledged him before leaving again with her sisters.

He hoped to have the opportunity to get to know her a little bit better today. If all went well, he was going to ask her out on a date. From what he'd heard, the beach wasn't very far from their home, apparently. He hoped to be able to talk Dawn into a walk along the water at some point during the barbeque.

Calleigh had already given him a friendly warning about courting Dawn. She'd told him that all members of her family were scarily protective of her, and if he wasn't seriously interested in her, that he shouldn't bother pursuing her. But instead of deterring him, Ryan found himself even more intrigued by her. But he would heed Calleigh's advice and move cautiously in his pursuit.

After he was done with his shower he headed back into his bedroom to get dressed, and then he was going to make himself breakfast.

**12:30pm**

The house was a buzz of activity as last minute preparations were marked off of the checklist to make sure everything was in order.

All of the items dealing with the supernatural were hidden away; and the house was looking as spotless as was possible for a home with three babies, a six year old, and a nineteen year old. Xander was busy hauling the food from the kitchen- with Faith's help- to the backyard and ready for grilling. Drinks were chilling in beverage buckets at strategic points throughout the house and backyard. Buffy's iPod was plugged in, with her favorite party play-list set and ready to go. Joseph and the triplets were already dressed for the party. They were currently being entertained by Tara and Willow, so that Buffy could go and finish getting dressed herself.

In her room, Buffy had chosen an ice-blue bikini that flattered her now more curvaceous body, with a blue and white floral sundress to wear over it. She'd recently gotten her hair cut, into an above-the-shoulder razor-cut shag.

It had taken some getting used to at first because she was used to having long hair. But after the adjustment period, she found that she preferred the new 'do because it was easier to deal with; and with four kids, she hardly had time to fuss over her appearance the way she used to.

Not that she let herself go or anything, she just preferred being able to get her ablutions done quickly these days. When she was done dressing, she went back downstairs to check on her kids before the guests arrived.

**1:00pm**

At precisely one, the doorbell rang. And since quite a few of the IDC people had already arrived, it was most likely to be people from the Crime Lab at the door.

When Buffy opened the door, she was unsurprised to see Horatio and Calleigh standing there. If any of the CSI's would be on time- or early- it would be these two (and Alexx).

"Hi guys! I'm glad you could make it," Buffy greeted, waving them into the house.

"Wow! Buffy, I love what you've done with your hair," Calleigh exclaimed at Buffy's new, much shorter hairdo. "It looks fabulous on you."

Horatio was surprised by Buffy's new look. He'd been a fan of her long hair, but he had to admit that she looked even more beautiful, and that the shorter hair accentuated her face. And the sundress she was wearing… "Calleigh is right, sweetheart, you look outstanding. The shorter cut makes your facial features stand out more, and your dress is lovely."

"Thanks, you two. I was a little skeptical of the new 'do at first. But now? I'm loving it. It's easier to maintain and I can be done with my hair with minimal fuss; which is of the good since I have four kids to take care of," Buffy said, "By the way, you two are the first ones from the Crime Lab to arrive."

"Good, then that means we get first dibs on the best seats and food, right?" Calleigh teased, as she and Horatio entered the house.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about that one," Buffy replied with a rueful shake of her head. "We have a few slayers coming, and I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but we slayers tend to need to eat more- especially after vigorous activity. I think we could put football players to shame. And I know that Dawn wants to get some of the people together to play volleyball down on the beach a little later, so we'll have to see if there's any food left over after that."

"I had a few friends that were football players back in school, and they tended to eat a *lot* on game days, so I can only imagine," Calleigh said.

Horatio and Calleigh followed Buffy through the house, as she guided them towards the backyard.

As they stepped through the backdoor, they saw Xander standing in front of a large stainless steel gas grill talking to Faith, as he was placing the food close enough to the grill that it would easily be within reach as he cooked. Willow, Tara and Giles were sitting underneath a large portable gazebo with the triplets. Dawn was on the other side of the yard arguing with a geeky looking blonde guy about how the sound system was set up.

"So, would you two like anything to drink right now?" Buffy asked. "We've got bottled water, juices, sodas, even bottled coffee beverages for everyone underage; while right over there, we have a mini-bar set up with beer and wine for the adults. We even employed a bartender for the mixed drinks, if anyone cares to indulge in such concoctions."

"Looks like you have everything covered," Horatio observed, "But I think I'll have a soda for now, though."

"I think I'll just have water," Calleigh answered, "So, what exactly is on the menu anyway?"

"We've got everything. Hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken; you know, the whole shebang. We even have stuff for the non-meat eaters, which include Tara's to-die-for veggie burgers. We also have corn on the cob, potato salad, and all of the other fixings. No food preference will go without today," Buffy declared, "And we have quite the selection of desserts as well."

Buffy heard the sound of the doorbell as she grabbed drinks for Horatio and Calleigh, excusing herself she went to answer the door, as they wandered over to the gazebo.

A few hours later, the party was in full swing and it seemed as though everyone was having a good time when Buffy plopped herself down next to Horatio. Watching her guests interact, she asked, "So, are you enjoying yourself, H?"

"I am, sweetheart. You did a wonderful job on this party. Everyone seems to be having a great time."

"Good. I'm glad everything seems to be going smoothly," Buffy said as she laid her head on Horatio's shoulder with a yawn, "Who knew that planning and hosting a party could be so tiring?"

Horatio chuckled as he leaned his cheek against the top of Buffy's head, "I suppose it can be."

"At least I have Tara here to help me with the triplets. I would've been beyond exhausted if I'd had to care for the triplets as well as make the rounds as the "hostess with the mostest", if she hadn't been able to make it. I have to say that hiring her as a nanny for the kids was one of the smartest things I've ever done. I really ought to get Giles something special for suggesting it in the first place."

"She does seem to have a way with children, doesn't she?"

"Yup, it's that whole "earth mother" vibe she's got going on," Buffy agreed, "Though, now that the triplets are down for their nap, I think I may just go for a swim in the pool. Hopefully it will invigorate me enough to get through this afternoon with as few complications as possible. Would you care to join me, handsome?"

"Certainly. But first, I'm going to head back inside so that I can get changed into my swim trunks. I'll be back shortly, though?"

"Sure. You can go ahead and use my bathroom to change into your trunks if you want to. That way you won't have to wait in line for access to any of the bathrooms if they're busy. I'll see you by the pool in a few minutes, H."

As Horatio was walking away, he didn't see Buffy strip off her sundress, revealing her swim suit. However, when he was mere steps away from reaching the backdoor, he made the mistake of looking back to where Buffy stood, which proved to be his undoing. Instead of paying attention to where he was walking, he was too busy staring at Buffy in her ice-blue bikini. So, rather than opening the backdoor, he managed to walk into it instead.

Horatio looked around to see if anyone had seen his little misstep. Much to his chagrin, he saw that Giles, Calleigh, and Tara were smirking in his direction. He felt his cheeks beginning to heat up from the embarrassment of his moment of clumsiness being witnessed… so much for being cool and unflappable.

Ryan was having a great time. He had been chatting with Dawn for the past half hour, and the more they talked, the more attracted to her he became.

She was nineteen, almost twenty; and she was already a junior at the University of Florida. She was a Language Arts major with a minor in forensic anthropology.

According to her, she was a total geek for languages. In fact, Dawn had recently been accepted into an internship program to study Egyptology and some of the more ancient and obscure languages- such as Sumerian and Aramaic- as soon as she graduated from U of F. And she was already fluent in Spanish, Italian, French and Russian. She was also in the process of learning Norwegian and Irish at the moment. She even knew how to speak a bit of Klingon; and a little bit of Quenya and Sindarin, which were the two main languages of the Elves of Middle Earth. She said that she'd learned a bit of the last two because her friend Andrew was a sci-fi geek who had taught her how to speak them after a movie-fest where they watched all three of the movies in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

She'd also readily admitted to being something of a spaz when it came to athletics. And yet, it didn't deter her from still trying.

He admired her for her dogged persistence in regards to her apparent lack of athleticism, though. Plenty of others would have given up trying after having as many sports fails as she had claimed to have.

So she was smart, beautiful, courageous and funny… and if he was reading her body language correctly, she was also as into him as he was into her.

Needless to say, Ryan was feeling pretty darn happy right about now, watching as she went about wrangling up some people to play volleyball down on the beach.

Buffy was lying in a floating chaise when Horatio finally made his way to the edge of the pool. As she watched him lower himself into the water, she couldn't help but admire his body. He still looked pretty damn good for a man in his mid-forties. He was definitely a hottie in her opinion, and she could feel her mouth watering.

If he had seen the hungry look that had entered her eyes, he would know what a bison felt like when it was being stalked by a pack of wolves. As it was- because she was wearing a pair of oversized, dark-tinted D& G sunglasses- he couldn't see the lust-filled look she was shooting in his direction. Her thought processes were stripped down to the most basic levels as she watched him swim towards her, simply running along the lines of _'hmm, yummy, me likey'_.

Out of nowhere, Timmy's words popped into her head as she watched Horatio, _**'When the opportunity does present itself, don't turn away from it. Don't doubt what you feel. For what it's worth, I'll be happy for you. I want you to be happy; it's what I've always wanted for you.' **_Stunned by this sudden epiphany, she was certain that if she had been drinking anything at this moment, she would have done a major spit-take. Pushing her sunglasses up, she stared at Horatio in dismay, her thoughts going a mile a minute. '_When the hell did this happen? When had she developed "more than friends" feelings for Horatio?'_

Horatio was swimming towards Buffy, when he realized that she was gaping in his general direction. Concerned, he swam a bit quicker to her. "Buffy? Are you alright?"

Quickly shaking off her dismay, she smiled at Horatio. "Of course I am, H. Why would you think something's wrong?"

"Well, it appeared as though you were dismayed about something, and since you were looking in my direction, I used my deductive reasoning skills and came to the conclusion that something was wrong," Horatio answered.

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm peachy with a side of keen," Buffy hedged, not looking Horatio in the eyes.

She didn't know what to make of her sudden epiphany, and she wasn't about to share this little tidbit of information with Horatio until she'd had an opportunity to think on it- and she was definitely going to have to think about it- just not right now. Instead, she sent him a three hundred megawatt smile, as she abruptly changed the subject to something less intense.

'_Buffy is__ avoiding the question,'_ Horatio thought.

He could count on one hand the number of times she had done that to him since they had become better friends. And frankly, Horatio was a little hurt by it. He had assumed that she knew she could talk to him about anything. But it was obvious from Buffy's deflection of his concern that she didn't want to discuss whatever it was that was bothering her. He believed that she would tell him when she was ready to, so he had to let the matter slide for the time being.

It was almost six o' clock when the party started winding down. Most of the people from the Crime Lab had left already. Only the diehards (i.e. Horatio, Calleigh, Eric and Ryan) remained. As for the IDC members, only the core Scoobies remained; with the exception of Rona, Vi, Amanda, Shannon and Andrew.

The party had been a success in Buffy's opinion. The slayers and Watchers had gotten along rather well with the CSIs. And from some of the conversations that Buffy had gleaned, it seemed like the whole idea of having the IDC working with the MDPD Crime Lab would be a good one. If this project worked out, then Buffy and the other Board Members could think about expanding this project to other law enforcement agencies.

Horatio was talking with Tara, Willow and Buffy- as they entertained the triplets- when the music changed from some lighthearted tune to a much faster, heavier tempo song. Unsure what to think of such a drastic change in music, Horatio turned to Buffy with a quizzical look. From the look on her face, this was not a song she was aware was on the music playlist. And when the lyrics came on, he understood exactly why.

_**{Y'all gon' make me lose my mind, up in HERE, up in here**_

_**Y'all gon make me go all out up in here, up in here**_

_**Y'all gon' make me act a FOOL up in HERE, up in here**_

_**Y'all gon' make me lose my cool up in here, up in here**_

_**I gotsta bring it to you cowards then it's gonna be quick, aight**_

_**All your mens up in the jail before, suck my dick**_

_**And all them other cats you run with, get done with, dumb quick**_

_**How the fuck you gonna cross the dog with some bum shit?**_

_**Aight**_

_**There go the gun click, nine one one shit…}**_

Horatio watched, fascinated, as Buffy's face started to turn red from her barely contained anger. But when Joseph wandered past them singing along to the song, "{..._**Y'all niggaz remind me of a strip club, cause every time you come around, it's like (what) I just gotta get my dick sucked…"}**_ When Buffy heard that, she lost her composure completely.

"DAWN ISABELLA SUMMERS! You get your butt over here right this minute!" Buffy bellowed.

Horatio watched as Dawn sauntered over to them with a smirk on her face, "You bellowed?"

"Can you tell me *why* my six year old son is singing along to the lyrics of this awful song?" Buffy demanded.

"I'm guessing it's because he likes it. Isn't that usually the reason why anyone sings the lyrics to any song?" Dawn replied innocently.

"I cannot believe you, Dawn! What the heck are you thinking playing this kind of garbage around Joseph? I thought you had more common sense than that! This kind of music is completely unacceptable to play around him! He is an impressionable child, and whenever I leave him in your care, I expect you to act like an adult around him!" Buffy raged.

"What's the big? It's not like he understands what the lyrics mean," Dawn said.

At the blasé comment and attitude, Buffy's face went from a light red to dark red, almost purple, "What's the big? _**What's the big?**_ The *****_**big is***_ that you are his aunt! And you are supposed to be responsible enough to _***know***_ that I absolutely would not approve of you playing this type of garbage around any of my children! I am flabbergasted that you could even think that there is nothing wrong with an impressionable child singing those filthy lyrics! I would never allow this and you damn well know it! I cannot believe your blasé attitude! Perhaps I gave you too much credit in believing that you were mature and responsible?"

Before Buffy could continue on with her rant, Horatio interceded and pulled her away from Dawn just as Giles stepped up to Dawn, clucking his tongue in disapproval, also intent on scolding her.

However, Giles wanted to avoid making an even bigger scene and further embarrassing Dawn in front of the others. So instead of yelling like Buffy had, he kept his voice calm and even, explaining to her why such behavior and attitude were childish and unacceptable.

Meanwhile, Horatio took Buffy's hand and pulled her in the direction of the beach, "Let's go for a walk along the water. I think it'll help you to calm down. Or else you may say or do something that you'll regret later on."

"I cannot believe that she would behave this irresponsibly around Joseph! I trusted her to act in his best interests when he was in her care," Buffy growled, "She should have known better!"

"I understand your anger, sweetheart, really I do. But you have to remember that she's still pretty young, and she's bound to make stupid mistakes and act irresponsibly from time to time," he reminded. "You also have to remember that she didn't have to grow up as fast as you did. She didn't have the responsibilities to deal with that you did. You had the weight of the world thrust upon your shoulders at fifteen; while she was allowed to remain a teenager, in spite of the troubles associated with being your sister."

"That still doesn't excuse what she did! And did you see her reaction? She thought it was funny!" she continued to rant.

"Maybe not, but she doesn't see this the same way you do. After all, in her mind, she is just the cool aunt, not an authority figure. And it is easier for her to excuse her own actions with that kind of mindset."

Buffy didn't want to be mollified, but she did have to concede that Horatio had a point.

"You're right," she grumbled, "But is it so wrong for me to have expected her to use better judgment where Joseph is concerned?"

"No, it isn't. But, because she is still prone to a lack of common sense, she's going to say and do things that will anger you," he said, "Although one day, she'll become a parent, and when she goes through some of these same problems that you did, you can just sit back and laugh at her predicament, because you've already been through it and come out of it relatively unscathed."

"Being an adult really sucks sometimes."

"That it does. But no one ever said it would be easy, unfortunately."

"I don't think Dawn would have been this bad if our mother were still alive. It makes me miss my mom all the more whenever I have to deal with this from Dawn. I don't think I'll ever understand how Mom was able to deal with all the bullshit that she had to deal with without losing her mind." Sighing wistfully, she continued, "I would give just about anything to have my mom back. I would apologize for all the grief I put her through. And I think Dawn would have been better off psychologically. I know that losing our mom when she was fourteen damaged her. Added that, my own death soon after didn't help her, either."

"I know it's been tough on you, but I think that considering the circumstances, you've done a wonderful job of raising your sister, Buffy. You should give yourself a little more credit than you do. I honestly believe that your mom would be very proud of how far you've come."

Everything Horatio said made sense, but Buffy couldn't help but wonder sometimes. If she had never been "Called", then she never would have had to endure all of the pain and doubt she had gone through.

True, she would likely still be the vapid airhead cheerleader that she'd once been, but at least her mom would still be alive, and her parents would still be together, and she'd still be her daddy's princess.

As they walked along the water, each caught up in their own thoughts; Horatio wrapped his arm around Buffy's shoulders in a gesture of comfort. He felt her tense up for a moment before she let herself relax into his embrace. And for the second time that day, he felt the hurt flare up. Clearly something about him or something he had done was bothering her; but he was mystified as to what he could have possibly done wrong to receive such a reaction from her.

Letting it slide once more, he kept Buffy entertained with little anecdotes about some of the more comical mishaps from his youth, and some that had occurred while working.

He could brood over why she had tensed at his touch and what he had done wrong later, when he was home alone.


End file.
